In today's cut and thrust world of business, we take it for granted that we have to juggle twelve tasks in the air whilst we paint on a professional smile and work through the day. However, this constant pressure can only be maintained for a while before alarm bells start sounding and we start to burn out.

Although many of us fight to maintain the momentum, feelings of overwhelm start to take control and we find ourselves drained physically, mentally and emotionally. Our productivity takes a nose dive and one by one, we watch those twelve tasks start to slip out of our grasp and we start making mistakes and becoming unreliable. For most professionals, these mistakes can make us feel less than perfect and we start to doubt ourselves, feel hopeless and lose interest. The spark that once kept the fires of ambition burning end up as nothing more than just a flicker.

Not only will this level of exhaustion threaten your job, it will also seep into your relationships, home life, social life and overall health. When you become this vulnerable you expose yourself to the risk of catching every cold and flu virus circulating the office. You will find yourself over-reacting to issues which you used to cope with so calmly and your overall outlook on life will be bleak and meaningless. Nothing and no-one will matter and you will be quite happy to draw the curtains and let the world pass you by.

But how do you know if you are stressed out or burned out? You need to determine the difference between bouts of stress in your life which can often be a motivator and stress which takes you beyond your threshold. While stress can easily be spotted, the danger with burnout is that it may not be readily detectable until it is too late.

Signs associated with stress:

Staying focussed whilst completing a hectic schedule

Running on adrenalin to manage tasks which need to be completed yesterday

Reacting with a sense of urgency to all situations

Lethargic, leading to premature bouts of rest

Physical exhaustion

Anxiety and feeling emotional.

Signs connected to burnout:

Becoming anti-social and preferring one's own company

Emotionless and disengaged

Sluggish reaction and response along with feelings of hopelessness

Depression and feeling constantly tired

Emotionally empty, feeling that there is nothing left to give

Suicidal thoughts

Change in eating habits

Tension headaches

Using a crutch such as alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism

Flying off the handle more quickly than usual

Although burnout is primarily connected to work, it can be experienced by anyone who is being taken for granted, working long hours without any time for themselves or feeling undervalued.

When a person stops feeling like a person and more like a machine, it is easy to lose that connection with life and want to withdraw from it. Still waters run deep and although a stressful workload can be a major contributing factor, there are certain people who can become more susceptible to burnout than others.

Those who have a perfectionist approach to work are at great risk of suffering from burnout as they place tremendous pressure on themselves to do things immaculately. Anything less than perfect and they will feel that whatever they do is inferior. Some people seem to have their ears in a lot of places and feel that if a job is worth doing, they should be the ones to do it as no-one will do it more efficiently than they will. These are the type who give out orders, prefer to take the lead and love to take all of the credit.

The most important thing to remember about burnout is that it should not be ignored. This is the time when you need to take some vital steps to put your life back on course so as you can stop the onset of a possible full-blown breakdown.

What you need to do is take life down a notch or two and run it pretty much as you already do but at a slightly less accelerated level.

You should start the day relaxed and calm, spending at least fifteen minutes just 'coming to' after a good night's rest. Or you could meditate, read something positive or simply do some gentle exercise. No rush, everything just as calm and slowed down as it was an hour ago when you were sleeping.

Ensure that you stop for a full half hour or hour lunch break and enjoy your meal. Eat healthily so as to acquire the necessary energy that you need to fuel your day but do not over-indulge. Healthy eating along with exercise and a good sleeping pattern helps to make us more resilient and able to deal with the demands and hassles which are forced upon us throughout the day.

If you find people asking more and more of you, learn how to say a polite "no" if it means sacrificing valuable free time. This leaves you open to say "yes" to the things which will bring you pleasure outside of work.

If you feel stuck in a rut and have been performing the same mundane duties for years on end, ask if you can work towards a promotion, operate a new machine or work in a different sales region.

Run through your job description and make a note of those duties you regularly perform which were not specified. If those extra duties are eating into your stress levels, point them out to your superiors so as they can be delegated to someone else or your duties can be updated and factored into your working week accordingly.

Find half an hour within each day to give technology a rest. Turn off your laptop, desktop, mobile phone and treat yourself to some moments where technology has ground to a halt

Find out what you are capable of by sampling some new interests and hobbies - anything which stimulates the mind but is a million miles away from anything work related .

Keep your friends and family close at hand as now is the time when you need them more than ever. Explain how you feel with the people you trust the most. Sharing these thoughts is a great way to offload some of the burden that you are carrying around with you and a problem shared is nearly always halved with a few kind and supportive words from your nearest and dearest.

Take a much needed break from work and give yourself time to recharge your batteries. Use up all of your sick days and recuperate at home. Book annual leave, pack up your bags and have a complete change of scenery where you can rest, think and recognise the changes that you need to make to put your life back on track.

Burnout is a definite sign that there is something wrong with your life. Use this time to evaluate your routine and detect those areas which are causing you the most concern. Look at the bigger picture and think about the things you would like to achieve in life, the hobbies you would love to pursue and those dreams that you have yet to fulfil. Although it is a serious downward slope, it is also be a warning from your body to take some much needed time out to discover what will really make you happy and change your life according to your needs.