Do you dread going to work? Are you exhausted by 10 in the morning? We’ve all felt it at times—the inability to get out of bed and go to work because our job is draining us in every way! If you feel zapped of energy, there is hope, but you must be willing to take action and find the source of the problem. It can be challenging—but it’ll be worth it!

Step 1
Make Time for You
In the midst of a job crisis, the last thing on your mind is to make time for yourself, but it’s really the most important thing to do. Before we dive into solving the problem, we need to make sure our foundation is strong. Often when we get stressed, the first thing to get moved out of our schedule is precious time for ourselves. Where do we find the time? Here’s what worked for Susan. Susan took 30 seconds to write down 10 things that made her happy. I asked her to look at her list and add at least 3 of them to her week. She found three things to schedule: time to read her favorite book, time for a manicure, and time to go to the movies with her husband. Susan realized how important it is to carve out a little time each day—whether its one minute, 5 minutes, or 30 minutes. If you only have one minute, you can put your feet up, take off your shoes, and inhale a few big breaths.

Step 2
Add some Energy
If your job is exhausting you, you need to find more energy. This may sound impossible, but here are a few simple ideas to get you started.

Step 3
Identify the Source
What is the source of the energy drain at work? Are you working too many hours? Is it stressful? Are you emotionally burned out? Is it some other factor? As simple as it may sound, the very next step to take is to identify the source of the problem. If you’re getting stuck on answering this question, try this easy exercise. On a scale of 1 to 10 rate the following categories with 10 being highly satisfied and 1 being highly dissatisfied:

Now, does that give you a better idea of where you need help?

Step 4
What’s Working?
The next way to approach this problem is to identify the positives about your work situation. What is working? Take out another sheet of paper and write down all of the reasons you love your job and the things about it that you do well and feel good about. Now, take a look at this list and ask yourself how could you use any of your strengths or the positive aspects of your job to help you with the parts that are challenging?

Step 5
Prioritize
Another thing that Susan did was take a look at her priorities. I had Susan identify each night the three most important things to accomplish the next day. We talked about making sure these priorities came first, even if a new project or distraction tried to take her off course. Sometimes by sticking with a short list of priorities, it will eliminate unnecessary stress.

Step 6
Say Yes to Yourself
Are you the type of person whose friends, family members, and co-workers seek out for help because of your kindness? There’s nothing wrong with this in small amounts, but sometimes when we can’t say no, our own priorities get pushed to the side and stress builds. To remedy this, Susan took a look at what she valued. She also thought through what was important for her to say yes or no to. The next thing we practiced together was waiting to give an answer. Try it. Next time you are approached by others to do something, ask them for time to think about it. Susan found it helpful to practice saying yes to herself and no to things that weren’t priorities to her.

Step 7
Create an Action Plan
Now that you’ve got a strong foundation you’re ready to create a solid action plan! Integrate the ideas from the steps you’ve taken from this article. Make sure your plan includes the ideas we’ve covered. Susan found it was helpful to have a realistic and clear plan. It will also be helpful for you to ask the following questions. Does your plan include:

If you’ve included all of the above, you’re set up for success!

Feeling the strain and stress from a demanding job is not fun. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to try to change. But, if you follow these seven steps, you’ll begin to make changes and soon you’ll find that instead of being drained, you have added more energy and uplift to your life.

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Carrie Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW, is a professional life coach. Carrie specializes in helping working women who want to improve their professional or personal lives. Coaching can help you create life balance, successfully make career transitions, add time to your day, or help you achieve whatever goals you have for yourself. Carrie collaborates with her clients and teaches them her 7 Secrets to Living Happy and Healthy. Before coaching, Carrie received her MSW from Washington University, and spent time working in a variety of community settings. Carrie is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF), St. Louis Coaches group, and the National Association of Social Workers. For more information, visit www.livinghappyandhealthy.com. Join a virtual community at www.workingsupermom.blogspot.com.