During National Stress Awareness Month in April, an expert in Dallas County uncovers ways to deal with it in certain situations.

According to Community Health Educator Natalie Peters, chronic stress can have negative effects on a person’s body, leading to heart problems, developing a weakened immune system, poor mental health, muscle aches, and other issues. She details that burnout can form from work stress and is usually related to tight deadlines, excessive work loads, long hours, lacking control, or even feeling undervalued by management. Peters understands that there are external factors that can’t be controlled but gives tips on how to minimize your own stress level.

“Taking regular breaks as allowed while working is important, getting enough sleep and staying physically active on your own time, and then setting boundaries between work and personal time to try and maintain a sense of a work-life balance. (It’s) definitely important to speak up and confide in others when you’re feeling overwhelmed, so a good place to start is your supervisor or co-workers to get some support right there at the source at work, but just leaning on a friend or a mental health provider is a great option too.”

Peters also suggests that if you’ve taken these steps and nothing seems to be working, then a career change might be the solution to start fresh again.