How Does Work Stress Affect Mental Health?

**The problem:** Work stress feels unavoidable — but you're starting to wonder if what you're carrying is normal, or if it's doing lasting damage. **The answer:** Chronic work stress is one of the most underestimated mental health risks for men. The impact is cumulative and often invisible until it becomes acute. Sustained work stress: - Keeps cortisol elevated, which disrupts sleep, digestion, immune function, and emotional regulation over time - Erodes the boundary between work identity and self-worth - Displaces time for recovery, relationships, and activities that restore wellbeing - Often normalises before it's recognised as harmful For many men, the warning signs show up in relationships or physical health before the mental health toll becomes obvious: shorter temper, less patience, less presence. **What to do:** - Identify what specifically is causing stress — workload, control, relationships, meaning - Recovery is not optional — it has to be built in, not earned - If your employer offers EAP (Employee Assistance Programme), it usually includes free confidential therapy sessions Work stress is not a character test. It's a load. And loads have limits.