1 In 3 Workers Say They’re Just ‘Surviving’: A Psychiatrist’s Tips for Managing Work Stress

MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Imagine a perfect week at work. Everything runs smoothly, and you love your job. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Those weeks do happen, but work can also cause frequent and intense stress.

Let’s face it, work stress is unavoidable.

For many workers, it’s also taking a toll. In a recent global survey of 7,500 employees in six countries, including the United States, 1 in 3 said they’re “merely surviving.” 

Further, 1 in 4 said their mental health had gotten worse over the past year, and half said they struggle to stay focused or engaged at work. The findings come from Lyra Health, a company that provides workplace mental health benefits.

So what’s behind work stress, and what can you do about it?

Causes Of Work Stress

Work can be stressful for lots of reasons.

“A leader who isn’t empathetic to what’s going on or not connected to the problems in the workplace can result in a stressful work environment,” said Dr. Jessica Gold, a psychiatrist and member of the Council on Communications for the American Psychiatric Association.

Gold also identifies a lack of control over responsibilities and time as a common reason workers battle job-related stress.

Tight deadlines and a toxic work environment (bullying, manipulation) can also wear people down. Fear of losing a job weighed on nearly a quarter of employees in the Lyra survey, while a third pointed to growing workloads and close to 6 in 10 cited money worries.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is adding a new layer of pressure. Many workers said AI tools make them more productive, but others said the technology leaves them anxious about job security (44%), feeling they always have to be “on” (46%) or more isolated (36%), Lyra Health reports.

Symptoms Of Work-Related Stress

The American Psychological Association lists both physical and emotional signs of work stress, including:

• Headaches

• Stomachaches

• High blood pressure

• A weakened immune system

• Insomnia

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Poor concentration

• Mood swings

How To Manage Work Stress

Gold offered these tips for keeping work stress in check:

1. Be nice to yourself. “I know it might sound silly, but we don’t have a lot of compassion for ourselves, and the voice we hear in our heads is usually not a very nice voice,” Gold said.

Stress at work and an unkind inner voice feed off each other.

Listen to the messages you say to yourself and ask if you’d talk to a friend that way. If not, reframe the message as though you’re talking to a friend.

2. Find things you can control. You don’t have control over everything at work. Figure out what you can control and focus your energy there.

Gold noted that you should look for “some element of control you can get back in a system that can feel very out of control and dysfunctional.”

You might not get to choose when you take lunch, but you can choose how you spend that time. Decide how best to use it to recharge.

3. Be intentional with your time. Look at your day hour by hour and notice what energizes you and what drains you.

Then ask yourself, “Is there a way to do more of the things that give me energy?” For example, if collaborating with colleagues on Thursdays at 10 a.m. energizes you, look for ways to add more collaboration time to your week.

4. Make a manageable to-do list. How often have you made a to-do list but couldn’t check anything off? That’s frustrating, and it can add to your stress.

Gold said a more “doable” to-do list, made by breaking a large job or project into smaller tasks, may be the answer.

You can finish these bite-sized tasks in one sitting or one day. Put them on your list and check them off as you go.

Crossing tasks off a list feels satisfying and can help you feel more in control of your work.

5. Practice saying “no.” Learning to turn down extra responsibilities or new projects is another way to reduce stress.

But saying “no” isn’t as easy as it sounds, Gold acknowledged.

Saying “no” to added work doesn’t mean you’re less dedicated or hardworking than anyone else. It means you’re putting self-care first.

Start by saying “no” to something small, and build up to bigger requests as you gain confidence.

6. Schedule time for yourself. During a stressful workweek, if something isn’t on your calendar, it probably won’t happen. So add activities you enjoy to your schedule, Gold advised.

Write it down or set an alarm, but make yourself a priority by scheduling things that bring you joy.

7. Reach out to a professional. Consider therapy if you want to explore your work stress on a deeper level. It helps to “have an external observer giving advice and helping you work through specifically what it is about work that’s the problem,” Gold explained.

Therapy can help you understand why a certain person or situation at work triggers you. You’ll also learn strategies for coping with those triggers.

Work-related stress is a reality you can’t deny. But making stress management a priority can lead to a better relationship with your job and a healthier work-life balance.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on coping with stress.

SOURCES: Dr. Jessica Gold, MD, 2023; Lyra Health, 2026