Rethinking Stress: The Impact of Mindsets on Stress Response

🧠Our cognitive appraisal of stress determines whether it enhances or diminishes our performance and health.

💪Learning that stress can enhance performance can actually improve our performance, even in relatively easy tasks.

😲People who believe stress diminishes performance actually perform worse on difficult tasks compared to those who believe stress enhances performance.

💡A stress-enhancing mindset shifts our focus towards problem-solving and improves our ability to learn from mistakes.

🏋️‍♀️Having a positive mindset about stress can lead to physiological changes that enhance our ability to cope with stress.

Does stress always improve performance?

—No, stress can either enhance or diminish performance depending on our beliefs and mindset about stress.

What is the role of cortisol in stress?

—Cortisol is a hormone released in response to stress that mobilizes resources in the body. It can be beneficial in acute stress situations, but prolonged elevation of cortisol can be detrimental to health.

Does stress feel good?

—Stress itself does not feel good, but learning how it can enhance performance can shift our attention towards problem-solving and improve our stress response.

Can a positive mindset about stress improve health?

—Yes, a positive mindset about stress can lead to physiological changes that enhance our ability to cope with stress and improve overall health.

How can we change our mindset about stress?

—We can change our mindset about stress by learning about the potential benefits of stress and reframing our perception of stress as a challenge rather than a threat.

00:02Our cognitive appraisal of stress determines whether it enhances or diminishes our performance and health.

00:32Learning that stress can enhance performance can actually improve our performance, even in relatively easy tasks.

02:17People who believe stress diminishes performance actually perform worse on difficult tasks compared to those who believe stress enhances performance.

05:49A stress-enhancing mindset shifts our focus towards problem-solving and improves our ability to learn from mistakes.

07:19Having a positive mindset about stress can lead to physiological changes that enhance our ability to cope with stress.