How to avoid overwork burnout.

• Position: Your Life

Achieving work-life balance is particularly challenging for managers in the creative industry, a survey by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service that provides market, advertising, creative, and Web professionals on a project basis, suggests. Advertising and marketing executives polled said they spend an average of 54 hours each week on the job.

"Putting in long hours is common within the creative field, particularly when planning new campaigns and product launches," notes Tracey Turner, executive director of The Creative Group. "In today's economy, there's also increased pressure to accomplish more with fewer resources, which may result in additional overtime." She indicates that professionals who regularly work late can be at risk for burnout. "Routinely working 10- or 12-hour days takes atoll on energy levels and creativity. Delegating and consolidating tasks may help managers better balance their schedules." To avoid burnout, Turner offers the following tips:

* Take your "personal clock" into account. Work on projects that require significant concentration at the time of the day when you are most alert. Tackle routine...