The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It [Paperback]

Drawing from groundbreaking research, psychologist and award-winning teacher Kelly McGonigal, PhD, offers a surprising new view of stress—one that reveals the upside of stress, and shows us exactly how to capitalize on its benefits.

You hear it all the time: stress causes heart disease; stress causes insomnia; stress is bad for you! But what if changing how you think about stress could make you happier, healthier, and better able to reach your goals? Combining exciting new research on resilience and mindset, Kelly McGonigal, PhD, proves that undergoing stress is not bad for you; it is undergoing stresswhile believing that stress is bad for youthat makes it harmful. In fact, stress has many benefits, from giving us greater focus and energy, to strengthening our personal relationships.
 
McGonigal shows readers how to cultivate a mindset that embraces stress, and activate the brain's natural ability to learn from challenging experiences. Both practical and life-changing,The Upside of Stressis not a guide to getting rid of stress, but a toolkit for gettingbetterat it—by understanding, accepting, and leveraging it to your advantage.Advance Praise forThe Upside of Stress:

“In this smart, practical book, Kelly McGonigal shows that stress isn’t nearly as bad as its reputation. In fact, if we change our mindsets just a bit, we can transform stress from a barrier that thwarts to a resource that propels us.The Upside of Stressis a perfect how-to guide for anyone who wants to tap into the biology of courage and the psychology of thriving under pressure.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author ofDriveandTo Sell Is Human
 
“A fascinating tour of cutting-edge research on how stress affects us in ways, both good and bad, that we never suspect. McGonigal brings scientific studies to life, makes her lessons tangible and provides fascinating tl£N