Public transcript

How to Make Stress Your Friend | Kelly McGonigal | TED

By: TED
Length: 14 min
Language: English
Text from: the video's captions
Transcribed: 27 September 2026

Read the full transcript Open on YouTube

Notes in English.

Summary

Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains how she changed her mind about stress after research showed that believing stress is harmful, rather than stress itself, increases the risk of death. She presents studies showing that viewing the stress response as helpful leads to healthier cardiovascular reactions, and that oxytocin and human connection build stress resilience. She concludes that how you think about and act on stress can transform its effects on your health.

Key points

A study of 30,000 U.S. adults over eight years found that high stress increased the risk of dying by 43 percent only for people who believed stress was harmful.
The researchers estimated that 182,000 Americans died prematurely over eight years from believing stress is bad for them.
Harvard study participants taught to view their stress response as helpful had relaxed blood vessels, a much healthier cardiovascular profile.
Oxytocin is a stress hormone that motivates you to seek support and protects your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress.
The physical benefits of oxytocin are enhanced by social contact and social support.
A study of about 1,000 adults found that people who spent time caring for others showed no stress-related increase in dying.
McGonigal advises chasing meaning rather than avoiding discomfort, and trusting yourself to handle the stress that follows.
Viewing stress as helpful creates the biology of courage, and connecting with others under stress creates resilience.

Questions it answers

00:00A confession about stress

Why did Kelly McGonigal change her mind about stress?

She confesses that as a health psychologist she spent 10 years telling people stress makes you sick, and she fears this teaching did more harm than good. A study made her rethink her whole approach.

She had turned stress into the enemy for a decade.
She now wants to change the audience's mind about stress.

01:14The 30,000-person study

What did the eight-year study of 30,000 adults find about stress and death?

High stress raised the risk of dying by 43 percent only among people who believed stress was harmful. Those who experienced a lot of stress but didn't view it as harmful had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study.

An estimated 182,000 Americans died prematurely from believing stress is bad for them.
That would make the belief the 15th largest cause of death in the U.S.

03:06Rethinking the stress response

How does changing your view of stress change your body's response?

Harvard participants taught to see a pounding heart and fast breathing as the body preparing for action were less stressed and more confident. Their blood vessels stayed relaxed, a much healthier cardiovascular profile resembling moments of joy and courage.

Over a lifetime, this change could be the difference between a stress-induced heart attack at 50 and living into your 90s.
How you think about stress matters.

07:04Oxytocin: stress makes you social

What role does oxytocin play in the stress response?

Oxytocin is a stress hormone released by the pituitary gland that motivates you to seek support and notice when others are struggling. It also protects your cardiovascular system, acting as a natural anti-inflammatory and helping heart cells regenerate.

Its physical benefits are enhanced by social contact and support.
Human connection is the built-in mechanism for stress resilience.

10:46Caring creates resilience

Does helping others protect you from the harmful effects of stress?

In a study of about 1,000 adults aged 34 to 93, each major stressful life experience raised the risk of dying by 30 percent, but people who spent time caring for others showed no stress-related increase in dying.

Caring created resilience.
How you think and act can transform your experience of stress.

12:49Q&A: stressful job or not?

Should you choose a stressful job if you believe you can handle it?

McGonigal says chasing meaning is better for your health than avoiding discomfort. She advises going after what creates meaning in your life and trusting yourself to handle the stress that follows.

Chasing meaning beats avoiding discomfort.
Trust yourself to handle the resulting stress.

Notes

The confession

Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, spent 10 years telling people that stress makes you sick, turning stress into the enemy.
A study made her change her mind, and she now wants to change how the audience thinks about stress.

The 30,000-person study

The study tracked 30,000 U.S. adults for eight years, asking how much stress they experienced and whether they believed stress was harmful.
People with a lot of stress had a 43 percent increased risk of dying — but only if they also believed stress was harmful.
People with lots of stress who did not view it as harmful had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study.
Researchers estimated 182,000 Americans died prematurely over eight years from the belief that stress is bad for you — over 20,000 a year, which would rank 15th among causes of death in the U.S.

Rethinking the stress response

In the social stress test, participants give a speech on personal weaknesses and count backwards from 996 in increments of seven while being harassed.
Harvard participants taught to see a pounding heart and faster breathing as the body preparing for action were less stressed, less anxious, and more confident.
Their blood vessels stayed relaxed while their hearts still pounded — a profile resembling moments of joy and courage.
Over a lifetime, this biological change could be the difference between a stress-induced heart attack at age 50 and living well into your 90s.

Oxytocin and connection

Oxytocin, nicknamed the cuddle hormone, is a stress hormone released by the pituitary gland that makes you seek support and notice others' struggles.
It acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, keeps blood vessels relaxed, and helps heart cells regenerate and heal.
These benefits are enhanced by reaching out to others, so connection speeds recovery from stress.

Caring creates resilience

A study of about 1,000 adults aged 34 to 93 found each major stressful life experience raised the risk of dying by 30 percent — but not for people who spent time helping others.
McGonigal concludes: view stress as helpful to create the biology of courage, and connect with others to create resilience.
In Q&A, she advises chasing meaning rather than avoiding discomfort, and trusting yourself to handle the stress that follows.

Text from the video's own captions. Summary and notes written by AI from the transcript, so check anything important against the recording.