Publisher’s Note: The following article, written by CQIU’s Nishita Morris, first appeared on Yoga International. Yoga International is a fantastic digital resource with articles, videos, and practices for anyone interested in nurturing their overall well-being. The original piece can be found here.

Most Americans between the ages of 25 to 54 spend close to nine hours per day engaged in work-related activities—that’s more time than they spend on anything else in their lives. It may not be surprising, then, that workplace stress is common, sometimes severe, and is associated with five to eight percent of national health care spending (approximately 125 to 190 billion dollars). Some stress is normal, even if you love your job. But too much work stress can lead to major health problems, such as depression and heart disease, and can also affect worker productivity.