When a teapot heats up, you hear its familiar whistle. That's due to the steam being released as the water temperature rises changing its chemistry. Without that small space for the steam to escape, the pressure would become too great for the pot leading to a disaster.

You are no different.

As a manager, you cannot protect your health and maintain a level-headed approach if your own stress continues to build up. Here are 3 tips on how to ensure your steam has somewhere to go:

1) Keep your resume updated and stay in the market  - you always need to be ready and willing to leave your current job. Even if you are 100% over the moon happy right now. Once you start feeling trapped, you can fall into an unhealthy spiral. I talk to so many managers who are at the end of their rope and haven't touched their resume in years. Remember staying at a company is not equal to a romantic relationship, loyalty has no place. Your company is always keeping its options open, so should you.

2) Find a healthy physical outlet - You don't have to hit the treadmill every day, but maybe go for a walk, take your work outside and get sunlight in your eyes. Maybe its ensuring you are drinking more water each day and less alcohol.

3) Support your mental health - This can be anywhere from working from a coffee shop twice a week to seeing a therapist weekly to ensuring you aren't ditching your social life/things you love to do for work. Whatever you need to do to protect this, do it.

Challenge: Find one thing, just one, you can do over the next week - your version of the teapot's whistle - to release some steam in a healthy way!