• According to an August 2002 Gallup Poll, 31% of U.S. workers are somewhat or completely dissatisfied with the amount of stress they face at work.

• As reported in the Sept. 17 issue of Healthcare, those with white-collar salaried positions had higher stress levels than blue-collar hourly workers.

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 67% of American workers are unhappy in their present work situation.

• An article in American Psychologist in 2000 revealed that 26% of adult Americans reported being on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown.

• Seven of the top-selling drugs worldwide are either antidepressants or anti-ulcer medications, and stress is cited as a prime factor in the need for both, noted the journal Behavioral Healthcare earlier this year.

• When asked how much money — base salary plus annual incentives — it would take an employee to leave his or her current position, 54 percent of those polled recently said a mere 5% to 10% would do it, notes global management consulting firm Towers Perrin.

• The American Institute of Stress claims that stress is America's No. 1 health problem, and “job stress is the major culprit.”

• A recent study of 5,000 people from a variety of organizations and industries found that only 10% to 20% of the work force was truly “engaged” in its work, productive and generally satisfied with their jobs. A majority of respondents (80% to 90%) were “disengaged.”

Dissatisfied employees fell into two categories: “burned out” and “rusted out.” Burned-out people suffered from over-engagement, too much work, too little time. Lots of effort and very little reward. The burned-out employees were characterized by disorientation, a loss of passion and an overwhelming sense of tiredness.

The rusted-out employees were using the time to avoid committing more than absolutely necessary to keeping their jobs.

Are you in any of these categories in your work environment — burned out, rusted out, stressed out, unhappy or on the verge of a nervous breakdown? What are you doing about it? And how is it affecting your career?

The statistics are grim and the story they tell is of a serious malaise in today's workplace. But the other side of the story is the sense people have that they haven't any power to change the situation. Caught up in fear of change and comfortable in the victim's role, many direct marketing professionals are living out days of quiet misery.

Doing enough to get by can describe a new work ethic.

• Vanessa was disgusted with the planners of an association meeting held this past Sept. 11. En route that morning, she asked herself why she was going. She was frustrated all day. Nothing on the agenda allowed people to pause to remember last year's horrors. When asked why she didn't say anything, she said she felt “too shy” but now she can't stop thinking of it and her “failure” to speak up. She's having a hard time sleeping.

• Dave's boss has a habit of putting him down because of his weight. Dave constantly complains to his wife about it, but he never says anything to his boss or to the HR department. Every time Dave thinks of how his boss humiliates him, he eats more.

• Jessie thinks it doesn't matter if she plays on the Internet whenever she feels like it at work. It's a perk she gives herself since “they” don't offer anything. She's not engaged in her work and finds each day tedious.

• Reade quietly pads his expense account with nothing that anyone will notice — just a few extra dollars in his pocket with every expense reimbursement. After all, everyone does it.

• Sonya shaves a few minutes off her workday each morning, each lunch and each evening. She feels she's entitled to “get away with it” because it's such a miserable place to work. She complains constantly. She stays awake watching TV late into the night and has a hard time getting up in the morning.

• The senior management team sits quietly and listens as the CEO micromanages every department head. There is pained silence and little interaction during these meetings. The conversation among managers outside the meetings is always about problems with the boss. Some are heavy drinkers, some are on antidepressants and others have developed health problems — migraine headaches and backaches.

• Lyn is a professional workaholic. As downsizing adds more responsibilities to her plate, she takes each one on. She's gained 40 pounds, never complains to her boss, but tells everyone how overworked she is. She says she's going to get her resume out, but for now she's just too busy to do it.

Stress leads to unproductive behavior and starts you on the slippery slope to career disaster.

The first step in bringing about positive change is to stop denying that you have a role in what's happening in your life. We all have the power to bring about change. The difference between those who make changes and those who don't is believing they can. Action of any kind is the motivating force behind change.

Not sleeping, overeating, stress-related health problems and poor attitudes — all are under your control. There are mind/body solutions galore to research. The ones you choose hardly matter. It's taking the action that will bring about positive change…in your attitude, in your approach to what you're doing and in how other people treat you. This is what creates the steppingstones to a satisfying career journey.

VICTORIA JAMES is president of Victoria James Executive Search Inc., Stamford, CT.

CONNIE LaMOTTA is president of LaMotta Strategic Communications Inc., Upper Nyack, NY.