pumped up and bursting with new ideas.

But as time went by, you became more frustrated and bored: maybe your ideas were never taken seriously by your boss, or you found yourself battling red tape and bureaucracy.

Now you're tired all the time, and you just don't feel inspired or motivated -- in fact, you're barely staying on top of your workplace responsibilities.

It's come to the point where you dread going into the office. You manage to drag yourself through the day only to feel like you're wasting your time; you toy with the idea of quitting, but never follow through with it.

Sound familiar? You may be suffering from a bout of workplace burn-out -- and it's important to make sure you don't stay stuck in the burn-out rut.

In an attempt to combat this growing problem, Wellness Bermuda, a division of the Employee Assistance Programme, offers an hour-long seminar to companies entitled "From Burned Out to Fired Up'' that focuses on understanding, identifying and preventing burn-out.

And Lise Baldwin, a consultant for Wellness Bermuda, emphasises that although stress is an inevitable part of any job, burn-out should not be.

"People think of Bermuda as this idyllic retreat, but it also has its share of stresses and strains,'' she said.

"Burn-out is a psychological process we go through as a result of work stress -- and nobody is immune.'' Ms Baldwin said the modern employee encounters a great deal of stress and work overload stemming from a variety of sources.

She explained that people suffering from burn-out usually can't point to a single crisis as the source of the problem -- burn-out is a long process resulting from unresolved stress, anxiety, or feelings of powerlessness.

"Work overload is a big contributor to burnout... nowadays employees are expected to do more complex work in less time,'' Ms Baldwin said.

"People are made to deal with a lot more such as a lack of clarity about your job role, the lack of rewards both financial and intrinsic.

"A lack of workplace community, as when work teams are broken up during acquisitions, creates a sense of instability which contributes to burnout.

"This can lead to high turnover rates, absenteeism, a sense of meaninglessness, and generally low morale.

"Emotional outbursts and overreaction become more common, as do health problems such as headaches, colds, and chronic fatigue,'' she noted.

"And employees can suffer from declining performance because they can't get excited about their job.

"You can even see more instances of substance abuse -- not just alcohol or drugs, but also cigarettes, coffee or over-the-counter drugs.'' Ms Baldwin said although much of the burn-out onus is placed upon the employee, the employer is equally accountable for the situation.

"Stress is inevitable -- it's a part of everyday living and you can't avoid it all the time. But burn-out should not be accepted by a company,'' she said.

"A lot of us define ourselves through the work we do, and are striving toward perfectionism.

"It may not be a healthy way to live, but there's a culture out there that tells us we are what we do for a living.

"But you're more than your work... we look at balanced living -- the intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual and occupational aspects.

"Organisations have a responsibility in causing burnout, although the individual has to take responsibility as well.

"At the end of the day, if you want to have a productive business, you'll need productive employees,'' she noted.

"Workers want more than just a pay cheque -- they want to feel like they're valued...

"When you look back on your life, how do you want your eulogy to read? Are you living up to your values, or stuck in a job because you feel you don't have options? Is your job important to you, or are you just filling in time?'' But here's the good news -- it take less time getting out of burnout than it does to get into that rut in the first place.

And many of the intervention tactics are geared toward helping employees feel a stronger sense of empowerment.

Ms Baldwin said it is important to establish a support system to help get through burn-out.

"We are all social animals, and we need help from other people -- family, friends, co-workers -- or even professional advisors like the EAP,'' she noted.

And Ms Baldwin suggests developing an action plan to help with time management, so that employees begin to "work smarter instead of working harder''.

Stress management is important, as well, which may include getting more rest, exercising more and eating better.

Sometimes the most effective way of regaining enthusiasm for your job is by enrolling in additional training sessions -- skill building helps with self-esteem and creates more job choices.

And Ms Baldwin said it helps when you can personalise your job experience in a way that allows you some leeway to use your own particular style to get the work done.

She also encourages a comfortable working environment where employees can take regular work breaks, time to have fun, and spend time alone.

Ultimately, it may be necessary to change jobs if intervention doesn't help -- if burn-out is not resolved within a week or two, it may not be burn-out but potentially depression.

At the end of the day, it's beneficial for all to evaluate the workplace and make the changes necessary to ensure a happy and productive environment.

THE FACTS Facts about burn-out Stages Enthusiasm: In the beginning stages of a career, enthusiasm and aspirations are high and ambition is not moderated.

Stagnation: As the glow of the early years wear off, the employee settles into a routine where there is a tendency to preserve the status quo.

Frustration: Isolation, political dissatisfaction and lack of defined goals can create increasing discontent. Minor hindrances such as paperwork and administration become a major trial. The individual will dream of change and try to take steps to produce significant change.

Apathy: If frustration continues, there will be a self-protective attempt to `shut it off'. Feelings of frustration will occur at the expense of caring, and there will be increasing emotional detachment.

Intervention: An individual or an organisation intervenes in such a way that the burned-out person retrieves morale, health and productivity. The intervention may include changing assignments, beginning an exercise programme or entering counselling. But intervention may not work if the organisational environment continues to be flawed.

Physical and psychological symptoms Fatigue, exhaustion, headaches; Coming to work late and leaving early; Coming to work early and leaving late; Working harder to accomplish less; Sleeplessness, inability to shake a cold, feeling run down; Feelings of guilt or confusion; Resentment of clients, colleagues or management; Boredom or disenchantment; Lack of enthusiasm.

Reducing burn-out Recognition: Unfortunately, people in the end states of burn-out often find it difficult to seek help because of an unwillingness to acknowledge the problem. Recognition involves acknowledging the problem and the factors which caused the problem in the first place.

Communication: Communicating with others in the same position help to minimise the resentment and emotional pressure which builds up. Burn-out tends to be worse among people who have difficulty communicating, and can result from the nature of the job, the employee's position, or the lack of contact with others in the same position.

Relaxation: Relaxation can be divided into two forms: diverting activity, or completely opting out of activity. To get the best benefit, the form of relaxation chosen needs to be compatible with the individual -- or else it can become another stress factor.

Conscious Coping: Coping involves making a positive effort to avoid factors which lead to increased demands and stresses. Areas to focus on include effective time management, changing routines, delegating responsibilities and developing `altruistic egoism' -- looking after your own interests.

From www.wearwork.co.uk