STRESS AND ANXIETY

We're all frazzled or worried at times. That's perfectly normal, as daily life can be chaotic and out of our control. But the real problems arise when being stressed or anxious becomes the norm-we can't always see what it's doing to our physical and mental health, and getting a handle on it can be hard. Here's a look at how stress and anxiety affect the body-plus, expert-backed tricks to counter them so you can enjoy better health and more peace.

- MERYL DAVIDS LANDAU, STEPHANIE DOLGOFF AND LISA MULCAHY, STEFANI SASSOS

Stressing 9 to 5

BILLS ARE DUE. The kids are pulling you in a million directions. Maybe your parents are unwell. Throw in work issues, and it all adds up to your being incredibly stressed around the clock.

There's no denying it: These are stressful, anxious times, especially in the workplace. Between return-to-office issues, work pressures, and not-unfounded concerns about artificial intelligence eliminating jobs, it's no wonder that 77% of American workers reported feeling stressed at work in the past month, with more than half having symptoms of burnout such as the urge to quit, per a recent American Psychological Association survey.

The body's stress response can be a beautiful thing, says Rajita Sinha, Ph.D., director of the Interdisciplinary Stress Center at the Yale School of Medicine. It alerts us to threats (like, say, a swarm of bees or a swerving car) and then triggers a reaction (running, fighting, or freezing) to protect us from harm. But that stress response is your friend only in small doses. When the pile-on is unrelenting, blood pressure and stress chemicals like cortisol can remain chronically elevated, and that may affect your physical, mental, and emotional health. Here, experts share strategies for navigating tense workplace scenarios so you can avoid the fight-or-flight status quo and feel calmer on and off the clock.

THE STRESSOR: Your workload keeps growing you're constantly scrambling and working overtime.