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. People with a low stress tolerance are the most vulnerable. Coping with stress involves two strategies. The first is problem-focused, the steps one can take to deal directly with and act on the source of the stress. The second is emotion-focused, and includes rest, exercise, and getting support from others.