April is Stress Awareness Month and a new survey from LinkedIn finds that 52 percent of working professionals in the U.S. say their jobs are stressful.
While men and women generally experience the same levels of stress and satisfaction with their jobs, there is a noticeable difference when it comes to age groups.
Fifty-seven percent of Gen Xers — ages 37 to 52 — said they were stressed in their jobs, while only 44 percent of millennials reported feeling that way.
Based on a survey of 1,000 LinkedIn members currently employed in the U.S., researchers did not find any significant correlation between job satisfaction and stress.
Although millennials face the least amount of stress from their jobs, they are also the least satisfied with their jobs. Meanwhile, 78 percent of baby boomers — people ages 53 and older — are satisfied with their jobs. Based on these numbers, about a quarter of workers generally don't find their jobs satisfying.
Another surprising finding from the survey was that as income levels increase, so do respondents' stress. Only 38 percent of people who earn an annual salary of $51,000 to $75,000 report being stressed, marking the least stressed group, while 68 percent of those making over $200,000 a year made up the most stressed group.
Research shared in the recent Global Leadership Forecast 2018 — published by DDI, The Conference Board and EY with support from CNBC — may provide one explanation for why Gen X feels the most stress out of baby boomers and millennials.
The report found that Gen X leaders are not only under-recognized for the critical role they play in leadership, but they are typically expected to take on heavy workloads. It also found that despite Gen Xers' growing influence and responsibilities at work, they are most overlooked for promotion and have been the slowest to advance.
As American workers spend more than a third of their lives working, LinkedIn's survey shows that over half of professionals are putting themselves at risk for worker burnout.
Annie McKee, author of "How to Be Happy at Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship," says that the "slow-burning stress, anger and other negative emotions can literally kill us." Stress can cause physical, mental and emotional conditions, but there are ways to prevent or work around it.
One way McKee recommends fighting off stress is to determine the source of your stress. If it is from working too much, she recommends you ask yourself if you really need to work that hard or if it's only out of habit, and question if you are overworking as an escape from another part of your life.
"Too many of us are in denial about the impact of stress on our effectiveness, our well-being and our happiness," McKee says.
"Charting a path to happiness at work means focusing not on what makes you miserable but on what you like to do, the kind of people you want to work with and the kind of company that inspires you, even if things aren't always perfect," McKee adds.
Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook.
Don't miss:
