(Web Desk) - We all know what getting stressed at work feels like physically.
Your palms get sweaty, your thoughts begin to race, and perhaps you're forced to make a last-minute dash to the toilet before a big meeting.
But what many of us aren't aware of is how stress can mess with our insides, sometimes leaving our bodies in a bit of a mess long-term.
Yep, those long hours and thankless tasks might be doing more than just giving you a headache.
A new study has revealed stress can damage your heart and increase your risk of heart disease.
When you look at how many Brits experience work-related stress, this is a big issue.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, stress is now one of the most common causes of long-term sick leave at work.
And, along with work-related anxiety, it accounted for more than 17 million working days lost in the UK in 2021/22, or 51 per cent of all cases of work-related illnesses in the UK in the same year.
Here are some of the ways stress is wreaking havoc with your body:
THE HEART
Getting stressed out at work can double your risk of developing a potentially deadly irregular heartbeat.
Scientists from Laval University in Quebec, Canada, found that people dealing with high job strain and not getting much enjoyment out of their work were more likely to develop atrial fibrillation—commonly known as AF or AFib.
Together, these factors were associated with a 97 per cent higher risk of developing AFib compared to workers not exposed to stress. And it’s no small matter—AFib can lead to strokes, heart failure, and other serious heart issues.
In the UK alone, around 1.4million people are estimated to have AF, and while it can strike at any age, it’s more common in older adults—especially men.
It's not the first time stress has been related to heart problems, either.
A study in 2023, published in the journal Circulation, found that high stress work can double the chances of men developing heart disease, which can cause heart attacks and other complications.
The researchers had looked at job strain - defined as work where demands are high but control is low - and effort-reward balance.
THE BRAIN
It feels rather obvious that getting stressed out in any setting might affect the brain.
In fact, one British study found that high-stress jobs make young workers twice as likely to suffer from major depression.
Around one in six Brits suffers depression, with women about twice as likely to have mental health problem.
It is the most common mental health issue in older people, with around 22 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women aged 65 or over affected.
Scientists from King's College London found a marked increase in cases of major depressive disorder among people in highly demanding jobs, with 14 per cent of women affected and 10 per cent of men.
Of these, 45 per cent were directly attributed to stress in the workplace.
The most high-pressured jobs were not necessarily held by white-collar workers in city firms, the researchers found.
Head chefs in large restaurants were among the most highly stressed, probably because they had to cope with constant inflexible deadlines and very public failure for any mistakes they made.
MOST STRESSFUL JOBS: Head chefs in large restaurants, schoolteachers, slaughterers, construction worker, top managerial positions
LEAST STRESSFUL JOBS: Postmen, librarians, hairdressers, legal/accounts administrator, speech therapists
FERTILITY
Work-related stress doesn’t just mess with your mood, it could also affect your ability to have children.
There have been many studies over the years looking at whether stress can interfere with fertility, with mixed findings.
One 2014 study published in the journal Human Reproduction found that women who reported feeling "very stressed" had a 29 per cent lower chance of becoming pregnant compared to those who were less stressed.
The scientists from Ohio University highlighted that stress disrupts ovulation in women and affects sperm quality in men, potentially making it more difficult for couples to conceive.
The hormones released during stress, such as cortisol, can interfere with the reproductive system, throwing things off balance.