Our attitudes towards work have changed quite dramatically over recent decades. Where older generations may have been more likely to view work as a means to an end, nowadays the majority of us see what we do as a integral component of who we are. Work gives us purpose, satisfies our ambitions, and allows us to be creative and make the most of what we perceive as our talents and skillset.

While having more choice and the ability to pursue work that is meaningful to us is arguably overall a positive phenomenon, it does leave us in a vulnerable position when things aren't going to plan. When our sense of self is tied to our 9-5, what happens if our job makes us feel inadequate, disillusioned, or extremely stressed?

A certain amount of stress is helpful to us: positive stress helps us to meet deadlines and keeps us wanting to do our best. Chronic stress however, or stress that induces anxiety or depression, only damages our wellbeing, productivity, and can lead to burnout. Stress is a physiological reaction that results from belief that demand is higher than supply. Your system under stress is pushed to 'fight or flight' mode, and our resources are inhibited as our primary goal comes to be one of physical survival. We therefore lose our ability to access usual levels of rational thought and manage our emotions successfully. Living with this amount of stress on a daily basis can lead to mental health problems, and physical problems such as headaches, migraine, back pain and skin complaints.

Liz Jeffries, a therapist on welldoing.org, emphasises the importance of addressing chronic stress: "If stress at work is persistent, pervasive and you feel a growing sense perhaps of anxiety, loss of self-confidence and/or depression then it may be time to reflect on your situation. Why for example is your reaction to stress different in this job than it has been in any other? Is there something else happening in your life that has contributed to your reactions in the work environment? Everyone will have a unique set of circumstances and therapy and counselling can help you understand yours, including your experience of stress. In fact, by exploring stress at work, sometimes there may be something deeper which could benefit exploration, and which when resolved gives you greater resilience, a different approach to the work environment, or perhaps even an improved overall sense of wellbeing."

Some recent statistics about problems in the workplace in the UK:

• In a recent survey by Mind, the mental health charity, 32% of men blamed work problems as the root cause of their mental health issues
• According to the Mental Health Foundation, six in 10 of the UK's working population has trouble sleeping due to work-related stress
• In 2015/16 stress accounted for 37% of all work related ill health cases and 45% of all working days lost due to ill health, according to the Labour Force Survey
• According to the HSE's Health and Safety at Work survey 2015/16 1.3 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
• Nearly a third of people 29% have been bullied at work and in nearly three-quarters 72% of cases the bullying is carried out by a manager according to the TUC