A Better Way to Think of Stress, According to Science

the way we think about the world has a profound effect on what we do in it. If we cultivate a growth mindset and believe that skills come from struggle, then we are more likely to expose ourselves to the good kind of growth-promoting stress. But the power of mindsets doesn’t stop there. It turns out that our mindset toward stress not only determine

Mindset 1: Stress Is Harmful. Experiencing stress depletes my health and vitality. Experiencing stress debilitates my performance and productivity. Experiencing stress inhibits my learning and growth. The effects of stress are negative and should be avoided. Mindset 2: Stress Is Enhancing. Experiencing stress enhances my performance and productivi

Some individuals learn to assess stressors as challenges rather than threats. This outlook, which researchers call a “challenge response,” is characterized by viewing stress as something productive, and, much like we’ve written, as a stimulus for growth.

In the midst of stress, those who demonstrate a challenge response proactively focus on what they can control. With this outlook, negative emotions like fear and anxiety decrease. This response better enables these individuals to manage and even thrive under stress.

Research consistently shows that tougher individuals are able to perceive stressful situations as challenges instead of threats.

You can also try a technique called reappraisal. The physical experience of stress or anxiety—a faster heartbeat and higher levels of stress hormones—is almost identical to our body’s response to excitement. Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks found that people who take advantage of this similarity by reframing their stress as exci