You’re used to feeling stress and pressure at your job. After all, you hold a lot of responsibility and people are counting on you to get your work done. But how well are you actually managing your work stress?

You may think you’re dealing with everything okay. But let’s think about what you’re actually doing to help your mind and body relax. Perhaps long evenings at the bar blowing off stream with your colleagues comes to mind. Or maybe you’ve come home and drank late into the night instead of spending time with your kids, reading a book or exercising.

Our society has normalized the act of drinking after work with labels like “happy hours”. We’re also inundated with advertising that shows attractive people in work attire having a good time at the bar, suggesting that it’s cool and healthy to drink after work.

But the reality is, your drinking to relieve work stress can turn into abuse that could lead to an alcohol addiction.

Is Work Stress Driving Me to Drink? Here are the Signs

Let’s take a look at some of the top signs that your job is causing too much stress and pressure.

1. Your To-Do List Seems Never-Ending

We’re all used to having to-do lists at the office and having plenty to do is a good thing. But is your to-do list so long that you feel completely overwhelmed and never feel close to completing it? It isn’t that you aren’t being efficient. Chances are you simply have too much on your plate that no healthy individual can complete successfully.

2. You’ve Had Panic Attacks at the Office.

Is that never-ending to-do list tying your stomach in knots and making your heart race? Have you had to step outside because you felt like you couldn’t breathe? If you’re having panic attacks at work, that’s a strong sign that you’re completely overwhelmed and burned out.

3. You Dream about Work at Night.

We all have dreams from time to time about our jobs. After all, you spend a significant amount of time at work and your mind may just be processing the day. But if you’re having regular nightmares about your job that disrupt your sleep, it’s a sign that your job is causing you too much stress.

4. You Dread Going into the Office as the Weekend Ends.

Does your heart drop when you get to Sunday and remember that you have work in the morning? Of course, no one likes going back to work on Mondays. But if you’re stressed out and put in a bad mood just thinking about it, you’re probably feeling too overwhelmed.

5. Your Stomach Tightens and You Feel Sick at the Office.

Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing…until it starts making you feel physically ill. Do your upcoming meetings make you feel sweaty and nauseous? Is your stomach constantly hurting when you’re at the office, but then magically fine when you get home? This is another clear sign that your job is triggering too much stress.

6. You’re Snapping at Your Family and Friends More Often.

You never used to be bothered by your kids’ toys or your spouse asking for help with some of the household chores. But lately, you’re in bad moods and taking it out on your family. If you take some time to think about it, you may come to the conclusion that your work stress is what’s causing your distant and aggressive moods at home.

7. You Can’t Seem to Focus or Concentrate at Work as Well.

You’ve always been a go-getter and overachiever. But are you finding that you’re just not interested in your work anymore? Burnout may be what’s making it difficult for you to focus and concentrate on your key responsibilities and daily tasks.

8. You’re Short Tempered with Colleagues.

Have you snapped at your coworkers and employees lately? You may even lose your temper over little things like a coworker asking you a question while you’re in the middle of a project. Feeling too stressed out can impact how well you keep your patience and temper in check when at work.

9. You’re Browsing LinkedIn More Often for New Jobs.

Have you been paying more attention to your job alerts and notifications from LinkedIn? You may not actually be applying to anything, but you’ve considered what it would be like to work elsewhere. If this is the case, you’re probably struggling with burnout and feeling too stressed out in your current role.

Feeling overwhelmed or getting down on your work performance from time to time is normal. But if these symptoms are extreme and the only way you seem to be able to relieve them is by drinking alcohol, you may be headed down a toxic road that leads to alcohol addiction.

If you already see yourself struggling to replace your drinking with healthier stress-relieving activities like yoga, exercise or meditation, it’s important that you seek professional help before your drinking upends your career and personal life.

At a reliable and effective addiction treatment center like Footprints Beachside Recovery, we can help you get to the bottom of your drinking and develop new ways of coping with stress and burnout that don’t put your career and family in jeopardy.

Establish a Healthy Work Life Balance at Footprints Beachside Recovery

At Footprints Beachside Recovery, we know how much stress and pressure organizations today can put on their employees. And as a driven individual, you’ve tried to rise to the challenge and maintain a successful career. But is it really worth it if the stress from your job runs your health and life into the ground?

At our family-owned and operated rehab center in Florida, we offer an addiction treatment program designed specifically for professionals like you. We design a personalized approach built around your specific challenges and needs that teaches you new patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that you can use to manage your work stress.

Talk to one of our team members today to learn more about our treatment programs and how we can help you recover from addiction.