Forgive me and my insensitivity, but the first image that sprang to my mind was that of the divorced, hard drinking heroes of a corny, 1970s cop show.

But seriously, I'm the first to admit that the fast pace of the IT industry isn't for the faint-hearted. And it can be particularly gruelling if you fit the profile.

Cross says IT professionals have an unusually high desire to please others and that it tends to get IT people to put in more hours and take things more seriously than perhaps another group.

Cross says the best stress leveller is participant management - let your staff participate in the process. You pay them a lot of money for their brain power so it's foolish not to put it to good use.

In other words, don't try to be a hero. Not even machines are invincible. Just be human. Are you becoming like the machines you maintain?