IF YOU strive constantly to be the best of the best, stop it. Now. You could be well on the way to doing yourself a mischief, reports Scientific American Mind (July).

Conscientious workers who run towards responsibility with open arms are most likely to suffer from burnout. Take Larry, a US consultant, who travelled non-stop, worked 60 to 80-hour weeks and still attended meetings at weekends. “Occasionally, it occurred to me how stressful the job was,” he says. “But I really got a kick out of it.” A stint in intensive care convinced him to quit and adjust his work-life balance.

Headaches, high blood pressure and exhaustion are all signs that your body is close to burnout. If your boss is irritable and guilty of confused thinking, prepare for a promotion: he or she too is stressed and could be out the door. A survey by the Samaritans found that three quarters of UK workers cannot switch off when they leave the office, reports Edge (July).

As ever, there are many good reasons to be unhappy about work. Research by Investors in People has found that 49 per cent of employees are frustrated by their career progression and 46 per cent cite a lack of manager support as a significant barrier to success, writes www.hrlook.com. More than a third say that their managers fail to set clear development goals, provide regular career reviews or generally give a damn on a day-to-day basis.

So how do you determine whether you are stressed out by your boss’s careless attitude or a Larry in waiting? Taking work on holiday and hiding it from others means that you have crossed the line between hard work and workaholism, says World Business (July).

If so, you might have trouble clearing your diary to attend a Workaholics Anonymous conference. The organisation, which was set up by a New York corporate financial planner and a teacher in 1983, now has 50 branches across the world.

Success at all costs isn’t just about working all hours of the day and night. One venture capitalist, David Cowan, 40, turned himself inside out to find out what makes young entrepreneurs tick, writes The Wall Street Journal (July 11). In the name of research, he started playing games on his mobile phone, writing a blog and drinking with Stanford University students. Workaholic or simply a man with a strong work ethic? You decide.

Times Recommends

• Inspirational leadership
• How to get a new job
• The reluctant CEO