Work-related stress is a significant issue for millions of professionals. Recent research from the management system experts at Moodle found that 66 percent of American employees are experiencing a form of burnout in 2025.
Stress also is an issue for professionals working north of the United States border, as data from Gallup indicates 49 percent of Canadian workers report feeling daily work-related stress.
Stress is sometimes considered a good thing, and medical professionals even note that acute stress can help to sharpen focus and compel some to fulfill their full professional potential. However, the Mayo Clinic reports chronic stress bas been linked to a host of serious health problems, including anxiety, depression, digestive issues, and heart disease.
The American Institute of Stress notes that work-related stress is a major stressor for professionals. Embracing strategies to manage work-related stress can help professionals reduce their risk for the serious health conditions that can be brought on by chronic stress.
Monitor your stressors — The American Psychological Association advises professionals to maintain a journal for a week or two in which they document situations that are triggering stress. When documenting stressors, also jot down your responses, feelings and details about the environment, including the people around you, when stress kicked in. Keeping a journal can help identify the sources of stress and determine if there are any patterns that trigger it.
Embrace healthy responses to stress — The APA notes that exercise, yoga or any other form of physical activity are helpful and healthy responses to stress. Too often individuals lean into unhealthy responses, such as drinking alcohol and/or eating unhealthy foods after a stressful workday. But the Cleveland Clinic notes that relying on alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress only exacerbates the feelings of depression and anxiety that stress can trigger.
Establish boundaries between your professional and personal life — The APA notes that the digital era has led many professionals to feel pressured to be available around-the-clock. But work-life boundaries can be vital to combatting career-related stress. Turning off notifications from your work email account at the end of the workday can help to establish a work-life boundary. In addition, resist any temptation to check emails before going to bed, as doing so might trigger stress that makes it hard to fall asleep.
Use your personal/vacation time — The 2024 Sorbet PTO (Paid Time Off) Report found that 62 percent of professionals did not use all of their PTO in 2023, which marked a 5 percent increase in unused PTO from the year prior. The APA notes that time off is linked to reduced stress as well as lower rates of heart disease, depression and anxiety. In addition, professionals may or may not be surprised to learn that time off has been linked to improved productivity.
Work is a significant source of stress for millions of professionals. Embracing healthy ways to combat work-related stress can benefit your personal and professional life.
Did You Know?
According to the 2024 Work in America Survey from the American Psychological Association, 43% of workers feel tense or stressed during their workday. That stress is not being left behind at the office, either. In fact, 76 percent of employees indicate work-related stress is affecting their sleep. Though workplace stress does not discriminate based on age, the APA survey found more than half (51 percent) of workers between the ages of 26 and 43 report feeling workplace stress. By comparison, 42 percent of employees between the ages of 44 and 57 report feeling stressed at work while three in 10 workers between the ages of 58 and 64 indicate they feel tense or stressed at work. Burnout is a notable issue many workers are now facing, and 20 percent of those experiencing burnout report that their employers are not doing enough to prevent employee burnout.
To learn more about stress, go to stress.org.
