I am finding it very difficult to concentrate at work, I am definitely lacking focus and motivation and small and routine tasks seem very challenging. I have been told this could all be stress but how do I deal with it? This sounds all too familiar, you are quite correct, it sounds to me like you could be a victim of stress or even be experiencing the early signs of burnout – emotional strain brought on by prolonged periods of job related stress. Obviously, you have to be realistic and a certain amount of stress can be a good thing – sometimes you need to get the adrenaline flowing – but if things are getting too much then the following tips may help you cope. It is important to prioritise, make sure that you plan your day so that most of your time is devoted to the tasks that are the most important – spending two hours a day returning non essential telephone calls and e-mails will cause you unnecessary stress by leaving you too little time to deal with the urgent things. Try to take regular breaks. You’ll be surprised at how refreshed you will feel by just taking some downtime during the day. Simple actions like going for a short walk can go a long way to both alleviating stress and boosting productivity. Try to achieve work/life balance. Try to balance both your professional and personal lives – make time for friends and family and try not to take work home every night. And always remember to ask for help. Often, the help you need is available simply by asking for it. Talking with a mentor or your occupational health department can help you to develop new strategies for dealing with stress- a fresh pair of eyes can often provide a new perspective. Although stress may be commonplace – it is not something that should be taken lightly so make sure you take the time to assess your workload and ask others for guidance so that you can keep both your professional and personal goals on the right track. Phil Sheridan is Managing Director of Robert Half. Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruiting firm providing placement services for accounting, finance and office support. There are more than 360 Robert Half locations in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information about Robert Half please visit www.roberthalf.co.uk.