One Habit May Protect You From Work Stress More Than Exercise, Study Says

A 10-year study of 2,871 Canadian workers found sleep quality was the strongest buffer against the health effects of chronic work stress.

Nutrition also helped protect health, while exercise improved overall health but did not significantly reduce stress-related harm.

Lower alcohol use was linked to better health, though its role in buffering work stress was less clear.

The findings suggest healthy routines can help workers cope, but they do not replace the need for better job design.