What you should do if your job is too stressful

It’s normal for work to be stressful sometimes. But when is it too stressful? Here’s a guide to help you determine when you've reached your limit.

All jobs are stressful sometimes. But the problem is when a job becomes stressful most of the time, or all of the time. That’s when you should start thinking about your next step. And the answer is simple: start exploring your options, and look for a new job.

Do you have trouble falling asleep because you’re nervous about what the next day will hold? Are Sunday nights the worst night of the week? Do you find yourself waking up before your alarm goes off because you’re afraid of what will happen if you show up late to work? Do you get nervous just thinking about work, even if it’s the weekend?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, there’s a good chance your job is too stressful. And to answer the question of what to do when your job is too stressful, it’s simple: start looking for a new job. Right away.

Let’s look at some reasons why jobs can be stressful:

• A mean or unreasonable boss: He or she just doesn't have a realistic idea of how long tasks take, and what you need to do your job. Maybe he or she is also unreasonable when you need to leave work for appointments or family obligations.
• Unrealistic timelines and deadlines: It can be extremely stressful when you are expected to deliver work in an amount of time that isn’t realistic or reasonable.
• Lots of overtime: When you are expected to work nights and weekends, your work-life balance gets out of whack and you start to resent your employer. The work suffers, and so do you.
• Toxic work environment: It’s a terrible thing when going to work is unpleasant and your bosses and coworkers are not welcoming. A toxic work environment not only has an effect on quality of work, but also on quality of life.

Get your resume in order. Make sure everything is up to date. If it’s been a while since you sent out job applications, you might want to update your reference list to include people who have worked with you more recently. But remember to be careful not to let on to your current employer know that you’re looking for work, since the last thing you want is to be mistreated even more  — or fired before you find something else.