The Real Reason Stress Is Hurting You | Kelly McGonigal episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 24, 2026 · 1H 36M

The Real Reason Stress Is Hurting You | Kelly McGonigal

from The School of Greatness · host Lewis Howes, Kelly McGonigal

Your body can't tell the difference between anxiety and excitement. The only difference is the story you tell yourself. Kelly McGonigal has spent her career at Stanford studying that story, and how the way you think about stress can quite literally change your biology, your relationships, and how long you live. She will show you why the fear of stress may be more dangerous than stress itself, and why one built in instinct can stop you from burning out completely once you know how to trigger it. You will learn why depression lies to you, why receiving support feels harder than giving it, why your body has a built in brake pedal for temptation, and what a rescue animal can teach you about earning real connection. There is a reason movement changes your brain chemistry more than almost anything else you could choose, and this conversation will make you rethink every hard moment you have ever tried to avoid. Kelly's Website Kelly on Instagram The Joy of Movement: How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage Amazon Audiobook The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It Amazon Audiobook The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It Amazon Audiobook In this episode you will: Discover why believing stress is harmful may be more dangerous than the stress itself Learn the pause and plan response, a built in instinct that can rebuild your willpower in the moment Uncover the real reason depression takes hold and four ways to work through it Overcome the discomfort of receiving gratitude and support from others Recognize the brain chemistry behind the runner's high and why it makes you more social, not less For more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1958 More SOG episodes we think you’ll love! Get More From Lewis! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Stanford University health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct, The Upside of Stress, and The Joy of Movement, joins Lewis Howes to discuss the stress mindset effect, the biology of willpower, and depression recovery through exercise. McGonigal, founder of the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training Program, also covers the pause and plan response, exercise induced endocannabinoids, and benevolent beliefs research.

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The Real Reason Stress Is Hurting You | Kelly McGonigal

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