Stress is the way we react to a perceived danger. It has two forms – one that builds up over time from regular stressors, like a heavy workload or noisy working conditions; the other is more dramatic and is caused by a sudden or unexpected event, like a car accident or a bereavement.

So how do you know when stress is too much stress? It is important to acknowledge that excessive stress, over periods of time, without the ability to recover, leads to fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, unable to cope and burnt out, which results in ill health. However, the line between ‘stress’ and ‘excessive stress’ depends on the individual, as everyone reacts differently to it. What matters here is not how much stress you can endure, but that you have the skills to identify when you, or those around you, are experiencing excessive levels of stress and how to reduce it.

Whilst Stress Awareness Week is an important reminder about workplace stress, organisations should be working every day to build cultures of prevention founded on psychosocial safety where working practices that can cause mental ill-health, including stress, are designed out.

On this page you can discover more about Stress Awareness Week, why it is important and how to access free resources. Please also watch our stress awareness video series and read our blogs on identifying and mitigating the risk of stress in your workplace and supporting the mental wellbeing of your team through stress management. 

What is Stress Awareness Week

Every year the International Stress Management Association [ISMAUK] runs a campaign ‘to increase public awareness of stress, its impact, and the importance of mental health and wellbeing.’ In 2026, the theme is “Shaping the Future of Stress and Wellbeing: Rehumanising the Workplace”.
 
During this important awareness campaign, we are encouraging our Members, partners and visitors to normalise talking about mental health and particularly about stress. Take time to identify the root cause(s) and address them not only within your own organisation, but also across your supply chains and networks, not just during this awareness week, but throughout the year. This will help to address the stigma and give people the confidence and reassurance that it is okay to start a conversation about stress. 

When Is International Stress Awareness Week?

Stress Awareness Week is taking place between 2 – 6 November 2026 and includes National Stress Awareness Day on 4 November 2026.

Resources for Stress Awareness Week

At Mates in Mind, we work with organisations to improve the mental health of their workforce by providing the skills, clarity, and confidence to employers to take action on mental ill-health through raising awareness, improving understanding, designing out working practices that can cause mental ill-health, implementing effective interventions and ending the stigma that surrounds it.

This is why we have created a suite of resources to support organisations not only during Stress Awareness Week, but also to create a comprehensive and ongoing programme of support. 

Please visit our Resources page where you can download and watch free stress awareness resources including a Spotting the Signs Infographic, a Stress Awareness Factsheet and our Stress Awareness video series. The short, accessible videos take you through how to spot the signs of stress, depression and anxiety; how to start a conversation; the importance of risk assessments; undertaking reasonable adjustments and signposting further support.

Please click on the link below to download a free poster and share it across your organisation.

Stress Awareness Week important?

We know that stress at work can have a devastating impact on someone and that it can have life changing repercussions for them as well as their family, friends and colleagues.

Trigger warning: please be aware that the film below mentions suicide:

Stress statistics demonstrate that in 2024/25: 

• There were 964,000 cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety. 
  
  
• Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 52% of all work-related ill-health cases and 62% of all working days lost due to work-related ill-health. 
  
  
• The main work factors cited as causing work-related stress, depression or anxiety include the demands of the job, lack of control, lack of information and support, work relationships, and roles and responsibilities. 

Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including mental health/stress. Mental wellbeing also benefits the business, for example, increased productivity, a reduction in sickness and staff turnover, and it demonstrates that the organisation is a good, safe, and supportive place to work. Research has found that, on average, businesses achieve a £4.70 return for every £1 spent on wellbeing support.

Mental wellbeing in the workplace is also good for the employee, for example, improving confidence, purpose, achievement, positive relationships, and inclusion. 

And finally, we know that through working collaboratively, we can be the change that is needed to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace. Together we can rehumanise workplaces by ensuring that all teams are supported through a proactive prevention strategy which raises awareness, improves understanding, empowers everyone to identify working practices that can cause stress, and gives managers the authority to mitigate them.

Further Reading on Mental Wellbeing

If you’d like to explore this topic in more detail, these articles may be helpful.

Our blogs can help you find practical tips on supporting your team’s mental wellbeing through stress management, or learn how to optimise mental wellbeing through workplace culture. There’s also guidance on eradicating the culture of silence and addressing the stigma around mental health in the workplace.

A key pillar of our framework is to educate and inform a workforce, with tailored training, helping everyone understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to mental wellbeing.

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

Please sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page to be informed when we publish new campaign pages (like this one), new resources and new blogs in our ‘How to optimise your mental wellbeing’ series.

Ready to Build a Culture of Prevention?

Through working in partnership, we can create a mental health plan and a culture of prevention. 

Our dedicated team of Programme Managers work with organisations of any size to develop a tailored action plan, evaluating your organisation's priorities and gaps, and providing the tools and support you need.

This plan includes ongoing support with communication and delivery of your plan, as well as training opportunities, promotional materials, and a suite of tools (including awareness date resources) to enable you to drive long-lasting and meaningful change. 

Find out more about how we can help your organisation build a culture of prevention when you become a Member (formerly ‘Supporter’) by: 

• Visiting our Become a Member page.
• Calling:  020 3510 5018.
• Using our contact form.

Mates in Mind Supporters

We have additional materials available for our Supporters.

To download these materials please log in to the Supporter portal, and access your resources.

If you are not a Supporter but would like to find out more about our Programme please read on.