Psychologist Dr. Susan Fletcher announces ways to avoid the blahs.

Your life may be doing just fine but the stress and worry from the hardships of others can leave you feeling fatigued.

According to a recent Gallup-Healthways Poll the economic crisis that began last year has caused Americans to become increasingly stressed out and experience worsened mental health - a trend that continues today. The survey uses an Emotional Health Index (EHI) that showed Americans’ sense of well-being dropped with each report of high jobless claims and drops in the Dow. Your life may be doing just fine! But with all of the talk about the economy, people losing their jobs and homes and a general feeling of insecurity it’s easy to feel fatigue. When you listen to stories of the fear, pain and suffering of others you can suffer from what is referred to as Compassion Fatigue. Once Compassion Fatigue sets in, the pain of others takes up your mental energy and eventually everything in your life can go dull. How do you know if you are catching the blahs and suffering from Compassion Fatigue? You make more mistakes that normal. You can't stop thinking about the problems of others. Trouble sleeping. General feeling of weariness. You don't feel like doing anything - you feel blah. You feel less satisfied, less energetic and less efficient. Use these Smart Moves to cope with Compassion Fatigue: Increase your EQ (Emotional Intelligence): EQ is the ability to use your emotions effectively and understand the emotions of others. Recognizing how others perceive you and the affect you have on others will help you identify burn out symptoms early. Exercise: You may feel like you just don't have time to exercise. The body and mind benefits of exercise will make you more productive and are worth every minute. Maintain a personal life even if you don't feel like it. You may tend to eliminate the very things that will revitalize you like family dinners, eating lunch out, prayer and meditation and time with friends. Spend time with supportive people. Have a sense of humor. People in stressful jobs, like 911 operators, may often have a wicked sense of humor - but it's still a sense of humor. When people who work with them recognize they are joking around less then it's a sign it's time for a break. Set limits between work and home activities. Don't play nurse or therapist in personal relationships. Broaden your network. Get involved in professional or social organizations where like-minded people meet and discuss events and mutual problems.

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Susan Fletcher, Ph.D. is a practicing psychologist & speaker on Emotional Intelligence, productivity, performance & leadership development. She is the author of Working in the Smart Zone (2008) & Parenting in the Smart Zone (2005).