May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to focus on mental well-being across all aspects of life. This includes stress, a common human experience that can become chronic and debilitating, especially in the workplace. Learn the impact of job-related stress, why it matters, and what both employers and employees can do to identify, address, and prevent it.

Stress, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. While stress is a natural human response, it can look and feel different for each person. For example, a five-year-old girl feels nervous before her first soccer match and has an upset stomach. A college student worries about exams during finals week and has trouble sleeping. A recently promoted manager prepping for a presentation gets irritable with his spouse. These are common responses to stressful, but temporary, situations.

What happens when what we feel moves beyond the normal response and becomes a chronic way of life affecting our physical and mental health, our relationships, and ultimately our jobs? Read the full article: Stress in the Workplace.