Some people face uncomfortable working conditions, have assignments and responsibilities that are unclear, or are given a work overload. Demanding assignments and promotions are stressful, as are the conflicts, disagreements and misunderstandings that arise with superiors, subordinates, or co-workers. Then there are the stresses that rise out of work-life links. Conflicts between job requirements and family responsibilities are the norm. Less common, but perhaps more difficult, is the stress that comes when work requests violate personal values.
Excessive stress causes important physical and psychological consequences.
When the stress continues, changes in the body's internal environment take place. It is the body's way of saying that we have failed to adapt or adjust to meet a situation or that we have done so but at the price of physical or mental disturbance. Overstress, such as the fallout from a toxic work environment, can lead to disease or dysfunction. Some estimates are that ten percent of the population is in overstress. The ability to handle stress varies from individual to individual.