The way we think about stress can change the way it affects us. Understanding the way our mindsets impact stress is essential for better learning and leadership.

Kelly McGonigal explains how it all works.

Quick Links:
Watch on YouTube
Kelly McGonigal
The Upside of Stress
The Learner Lab Podcast

Studies:
Jeremy Jamieson GRE Study
Alia Crum 2013
Alia Crum 2023

Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities.

She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. You might also know her from her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views.

Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, she helped create Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training, a program now taught around the world that helps individuals strengthen their empathy, compassion, and self-compassion. 

In January 2020, Oprah Magazine honored her ability to “transform scientific data into wisdom” by naming McGonigal the first ever O! Visionary, people whose groundbreaking way of seeing the world mean a better future for us all.