Business Insider put together a list of statistics about how Americans are ridiculously overworked, and it's kind of depressing. Identifying the problem is important, but you won't be any less burnt out by knowing you're in good company. Here's how you can combat the most common symptoms of being overworked.

"39 percent of people work more than a typical workweek (40 hours)"

If you're working more than 50 hours a week, you may have a problem. Anyone in this situation is likely to feel this if they don't know it outright. If you're not doing it because you're passionate about your job, too many hours in the office is bad for you. So what do you do about it? Prioritize. If you're working too much, talk to your boss about how you can work less. This might involve taking a pay cut or losing vacation time, so figure out what you can sacrifice and bring it to the table. Don't present the issue like you're telling a loved one you have cancer—you want this to be a positive thing. You don't feel you're being as productive as you can be because too many hours are burning you out. Tell your boss you want to work out a plan for you to work less, feel better, and perform better. If you've got a boss you can trust and cares about your well-being, they'll at least be willing to entertain the idea. If not, you might want to consider looking for another job that understands more hours doesn't necessarily equal more productivity.

"The average American gets 90 minutes less sleep than they should, and the number of sleep disorders has skyrocketed in recent years"

Sleeping is tough. Even if you fall asleep easily, stay asleep at night, and wake up when you want to in the morning, you still have to manage to go to bed on time. I had such a problem with this that I had to institute a "no work rule" an hour before I wanted to be in bed. Because I'm utilizing Seinfeld's productivity secret to get more done, I don't get to check a box off on my calendar if I don't go to bed on time and I end up breaking my chain of productivity. If there's a consequence for going to bed too late—aside from feeling unrested and awful in the morning—it'll help you actual bother to try and fall asleep when you're supposed to. I leave an hour open because I like to take that time to relax.

But what if you're just not sleeping well? First of all, you have to figure out why. Sometimes it's stress-related and sometimes you have an actual sleep issue. Sleep technology can help, but you may need to see your doctor to help you figure it out. Once you know your issues, check out our guide to resolving common sleep problems so you can start getting the rest you need.

"69 percent of employees report that work is a significant source of stress and 41 percent say they typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday"

Stress sucks, and all of us suffer from it at one point or another. When you're overworked, it's hard to let go of that stress and it often tends to build up. First of all, it helps to understand how stress works, but ultimately you just need to figure out how to relax. Simple breathing exercises help. You can even do them with your computer (OS X-only). Meditation and yoga are also very helpful, and you don't have to adopt their associated lifestyles to participate. You may find that just taking a walk by yourself for a good 30 minutes can make a difference. The important thing is you find activities that help you relax and let your brain turn off—and don't involve watching television or mindlessly surfing the web.

"An astonishing 39 percent of employees feel rage at their coworkers - and 34 percent resent their coworkers for working less than they do"

Don't hate your coworkers. Just because you're doing more work doesn't necessarily better. If you're reading this post, it probably means you're worse off because you're burning out. If you have a truly problematic coworker who isn't pulling their weight, it's best to use compassion when dealing with them. If you need to complain to someone else, we've got a guide for that. Essentially what you want to do is try to talk to them about the issue yourself as calmly as possible, expressing concern that others might care about their lack of effort from what you've heard. If you don't get anywhere that way, talk to the least powerful manager above your coworker and let them take the issue up the ladder. In general, though, workers doing less than you doesn't mean they're necessarily slacking off. Just because you work really hard doesn't mean they're not doing enough.

"36 percent of Americans don't plan to use all of their vacation days"

The majority of Lifehacker readers feel guilty about taking vacation and nearly the same amount didn't use all the days they earned. For many of us, not using a vacation day means it just expires. Not everyone gets to cash them out and take money instead. The solution to this problem is pretty simple: take your freakin' vacation. Only you can get yourself over the guilt of taking time off—guilt you shouldn't be feeling, by the way—but that's not always the only issue. Many people avoid vacations because they can't afford them. What you can afford is taking time off and just not going anywhere. "Staycations" can actually be really fun. Sometimes the best time off is spent doing absolutely nothing, or exploring the city you already live in. Alternatively, there are plenty of ways to get cheap vacations. Free frequent flyer miles and clever thinking can earn you cheap travel. So can volunteering. Last year I planned a cheap last-minute vacation by mainly not being picky and renting out someone's apartment. I could've saved more by renting someone's room. You can still have a great vacation if you don't go the standard route. In fact, my favorite vacations have always been the non-traditional. So put in for your time off. Now.

"[T]he hours are making people fat: 44 percent of workers have gained weight from their jobs"

If the stress and sleeplessness isn't keeping you from exercising, chances are you're probably too busy. Whatever the cause, exercise is important and you want to find time for it—even if you only have 20 minutes. If you can't commit hours each week to get fit, try our 20 minute exercise plan. It generates a new routine every day so you don't get bored doing the same stuff and each routine can be accomplished in about 20 minutes. You'll form good habits by doing it every day and get fit a lot faster than you think. You'll still need to move around on a regular basis so you're not sitting down all day, as 20 minutes of exercise isn't going to fix a sedentary lifestyle, but just set a timer so you remember to get up now and again or just take a walk around the entire office every time you need to get up for any reason. Keep moving and you'll avoid the weight gain.

If you feel like reading more depressing statistics about how Americans are overworked, hit up the full post on Business Insider. If you want tips on how to solve more crappy job problems, read this, too.

14 Sad Facts About How Americans Are Ridiculously Overworked | Business Insider

Photos by Leremy (Shutterstock), Wes Peck, Alyssa L. Miller, bottled_void, mikie11, and JetKat (Shutterstock).

We've discussed how dangerous burnout can be and what you can do about it in the past, but if you need a simple refresher, this infographic from the folks at The Simple Dollar does a great job of distilling the basics into an easy to read visual.

Normally infographics have an awful tendency to let meaningful information get lost in pretty pictures, but this one does a great job (although it's a little tough to read) of outlining some common symptoms of burnout, like depression, insomnia, and frequent illness. It leaves off resentment, but that could be a cause and not so much a symptom.

Either way, once you've recognized the signs of depression, the infographic does have some concrete suggestions for you, namely making sure you get enough sleep each night, working out and making it a habit, and remembering to take your breaks and vacations. That last tip is one we can't overstate enough; breaks and vacations are critical, and they give you a chance to recharge, cool off, and slowly recover from the building fatigue and resentment that comes with any job, even if you love what you do.

How do you keep burnout at bay? Is it all about taking vacations at the right time, or do you have another technique that's served you well? Let's hear it in the comments below.

6 Simple Ways to Avoid Burnout | The Simple Dollar

Burnout is a serious problem with many possible causes, but Googler Marissa Mayer's theory: Burnout is caused by resentment.

That's according to a talk summed up by Colin Nederkoorn, who explains further:

When people have to make sacrifices for work—like missing their child's soccer game—they end up being resentful. She is proactive with her employees to make sure they don't experience lots of resentment-causing activities. If being at tuesday night dinner with friends is the one thing you need to keep you happy, you should be there every week.

Nederkoorn then offers his must-have list of burnout prevention, which include favorites like exercise, eating well, and sleep (crazy, right?). To that end, we're curious: What do you do to prevent burnout and resentment for your job?

Burnout is caused by resentment | Colin Nederkoorn

You've been saying you're going to put in the effort to lead a healthier life, but procrastination has gotten the better of you. Make this weekend when you actually do it. We have plenty of resources to help.

Exercise Smarter

Exercise is something we all know we should do but tend to avoid like a rotting side of beef. It's going to be easier for some than others, but there are things you can do to put together an exercise routine that you'll actual follow. Even if you like exercise, there may be ways you can use your time more effectively, too.

For a lot of people, the problem comes down to a lack of resources. You probably don't have a gym in your home and may not want to grab a gym membership either because it's too expensive or a hassle. But you can you can exercise in your home without equipment. Convicts manage to do it, and you've got a bigger space.

Technology can be a boon as well. Fitness tracking sites and smartphone apps can help keep you on track and motivated. They can even teach you how to exercise better and find a plan that works well for you.

Part of the problem, however, comes with sitting down all day. While some choose a standing desk, studies are finding that you just really need to move around. If you're stuck in a chair all day and don't get enough physical activity, try setting an alarm that gets you out of that seat every 30 minutes. Sure, this sounds a little annoying since it's so frequent, but if you attach an activity to that standing task it won't be so bad. Do a few push ups, go refill your water, watch an episode of the Lifehacker show while you're standing and moving around a bit, or anything else you can think of that would make it more interesting. On the other hand, taking a quick walk—be it around the office or outside of it—is a good way to clear your head and have a minute to yourself.

Eat Healthier

Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and many other substances are things we enjoy but aren't necessarily good for us. Nonetheless, we still eat them. It can be hard to craft a diet that's healthy but also enjoyable and sustainable. Going on a specialized diet is often unnecessary, however, and small but specific changes can make a big difference. This includes things like eating smaller but more frequent meals, being careful at chain and fast food restaurants by avoiding the bad stuff, paying attention to food color as an indicator of healthy options, learn to use your microwave to cook food that's actually not bad for you, stick to calorie-dense fruit and nuts, and knowing your healthy alternative foods.

Part of the problem is just eating out a lot. If that describes you, sometimes the best way to eat better is to simply learn to cook. We've suggested plenty of recipes that everyone should know how to cook (many of which are very simple), but you can always find great cooking suggestions and tips on our food tag page.

Improve Your Sleep

Eating well and staying active are some of the best ways to improve your sleep, but if you're still not getting enough you may have a common sleep problem that can be easily diagnosed and fixed. Sometimes technology can help you sleep better, too. One of our favorite apps, for example, is Pzizz. But if you can't sleep, maybe you just need to reduce the temperature and cool off your brain.

The problem could be—you guessed it—technology. It's the kind of nighttime stimulant that makes it harder for you to fall asleep. Or maybe you're just completely burnt out. If that's the case, move on to the next section and get your brain in order.

Take Care of Your Brain and Reduce Stress

Photo by Shaheen Lakhan

You can keep your body in great shape, but that doesn't mean a whole lot if you're practically brain dead. Chances are you're just really stressed out, but there are plenty of things that can help you out. Meditation and yoga are two popular ones, but sometimes you just need to solve the problems in your life, at work, and find a balance between both. That balance should get your brain in good shape. And once your brain and body are healthy, everything should seem quite a bit brighter on the whole.