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How to protect your mental health at work

A certain level of stress is expected at work as with most things in life. It's when stress is chronic and increases that it becomes problematic.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — In a Gallop survey of 16,000 Americans, nearly 20% of workers say that their mental health is negatively impacted by work. And these same workers took an average of 12 days off from work. Including the entire workforce, US companies are losing an estimated 48 billion dollars of productivity annually due to their employees' poor mental health.

A certain stress level is expected at work, as with most things. Pockets of stress or moments of anxiety are normal. It's when stress is chronic and increases that it becomes problematic. When you're feeling stressed, identify the reasons why.

After identifying possible stress triggers, brainstorm and try different solutions; an effective way to protect your mental health is by developing boundaries to maintain productivity while limiting stress. For example, implementing communication boundaries with colleagues will help protect your mental health.

You'll often try to figure out what to do to decrease stress. But, sometimes, you need additional resources. If this is the case, you might decide to see what resources already exist within your company. Or, you might choose to talk to your boss directly. Plan out what you want to say and what resources you might need. Having possible solutions can be very helpful in getting the help you need.

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