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About this talk
Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal used to teach that stress makes you sick. New research changed her mind: how you think about stress matters, and reaching out to others under stress builds resilience.
- 14 min
- Courage
- by Kelly McGonigal
Key notes
What to take away.
- 01Your view of stress matters
In a study of 30,000 US adults, high stress raised the risk of dying by 43 percent, but only for people who believed stress was harmful.
- 02See it as your body helping you
A pounding heart and fast breathing can be read as your body getting ready to meet a challenge.
- 03A healthier stress response
In a Harvard study, people who saw their stress response as helpful kept their blood vessels relaxed, much like in moments of joy and courage.
- 04Stress makes you social
The hormone oxytocin is part of the stress response, and it nudges you to seek support and to notice others who are struggling.
- 05Caring creates resilience
In a study of about 1,000 adults, people who spent time helping others showed no stress-related rise in the risk of dying.
- 06Chase meaning
Go after what gives your life meaning, and trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.
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