Beware stress at work

Tony Blair's health is back on the agenda after revelations that No 10 may have been economical with the truth concerning his recent heart problem. Whatever the facts, you don't need to be one of his inner circle to see that the stress of dealing with Iraq, the Hutton Report and tuition fees has taken its toll on the Prime Minister - it is clearly etched on his face.

The more stressful your job, the more important it is to heed warning signs that it is starting to affect your health - changes that are often first noticed by others.

The warning signs vary from person to person, but changes in behaviour and emotions often appear before physical reactions.

Friends and colleagues may complain that you are increasingly irritable and a less reliable member of the team - stressed people tend to be indecisive, find it difficult to concentrate, can't multitask and panic when faced with deadlines. Other common reactions include tearfulness, mental and physical exhaustion and an overriding feeling that things are no longer under your control.

Physical symptoms are often ignored or attributed to other causes. People have a poor understanding of the link between mental and physical health and are loath to blame symptoms such as an irritable bladder, back pain, headache, indigestion and palpitations on stress, preferring to find some underlying physical cause.

But it's the timing that tends to give the game away. Strange, isn't it, how that backache is always worse when you are falling short of the monthly sales target, or how the palpitations don't bother you so much while you are on holiday?

Sleep often provides another clue to a person's level of stress. Few stressed people sleep well - most find it difficult to get to sleep because their mind won't switch off. And when they do eventually drop off, the night tends to be fitful and punctuated by vivid dreams. They rarely wake feeling refreshed.

Stressed people often eat less and burn more calories than normal, and the resulting weight loss can make them look drawn and haggard. Their complexion can show telltale signs too. Common skin problems such as eczema, acne and psoriasis are often exacerbated by stress.

But identifying stress is only half the battle. You have then got to deal with it - easier said than done when it's your job that's the root of your problems.

Few people are willing to turn their back on a job or career for the sake of their long-term health. Which is a shame because I have yet to see an epitaph that reads: "I wish I'd spent more time at the office".