The speaker, a health psychologist, has been teaching people for years that stress is harmful for their health.
A study showed that people who experienced a lot of stress and believed it to be harmful had a 43% increased risk of dying compared to those who did not believe stress was harmful.
Believing stress is harmful for you is estimated to be the 15th largest cause of death in the US, killing more people than skin cancer, HIV/AIDS, and homicide.
The speaker proposes that changing the way people think about stress can make them healthier, as the physical response to stress can be viewed as helpful and energizing.
The goal is no longer to get rid of stress but to make people better at stress, which can lead to a healthier stress response and better health outcomes.
Author: Kelly McGonical
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