0:00:09.617,0:00:13.181
(Applause)

0:00:13.181,0:00:17.184
I have a confession to make,

0:00:17.184,0:00:22.754
But first, I want you to make[br]a little confession to me.

0:00:22.754,0:00:27.183
In the past year, [br]I want you to just raise your hand

0:00:27.183,0:00:32.783
if you've experienced relatively[br]little stress. Anyone?

0:00:32.783,0:00:36.229
How about a moderate amount of stress?

0:00:36.229,0:00:41.298
Who has experienced a lot of stress? [br]Yeah. Me too.

0:00:41.298,0:00:43.343
But that is not my confession.

0:00:43.343,0:00:47.134
My confession is this:[br]I am a health psychologist,

0:00:47.134,0:00:52.056
and my mission is to help people[br]be happier and healthier.

0:00:52.056,0:00:57.091
But I fear that something [br]I've been teaching for the last 10 years

0:00:57.091,0:01:01.980
is doing more harm than good,[br]and it has to do with stress.

0:01:01.980,0:01:05.342
For years I've been telling people, [br]stress makes you sick.

0:01:05.342,0:01:10.331
It increases the risk of everything from [br]the common cold to cardiovascular disease.

0:01:10.331,0:01:14.686
Basically, I've turned stress[br]into the enemy.

0:01:14.686,0:01:18.657
But I have changed my mind about stress,[br]and today,

0:01:18.657,0:01:21.680
I want to change yours.

0:01:21.680,0:01:26.296
Let me start with the study that made me [br]rethink my whole approach to stress.

0:01:26.296,0:01:31.094
This study tracked 30,000 adults[br]in the United States for eight years,

0:01:31.094,0:01:34.093
and they started by asking people,

0:01:34.093,0:01:37.365
"How much stress have you [br]experienced in the last year?"

0:01:37.365,0:01:40.095
They also asked,

0:01:40.095,0:01:42.760
"Do you believe that stress [br]is harmful for your health?"

0:01:42.760,0:01:48.461
And then they used public death records[br]to find out who died.

0:01:48.461,0:01:50.345
(Laughter)

0:01:50.345,0:01:53.228
Okay. Some bad news first.

0:01:53.228,0:01:56.618
People who experienced [br]a lot of stress in the previous year

0:01:56.618,0:01:59.659
had a 43 percent increased risk of dying.

0:01:59.659,0:02:04.620
But that was only true for the people

0:02:04.620,0:02:08.294
who also believed that stress[br]is harmful for your health.

0:02:08.294,0:02:12.093
(Laughter)

0:02:12.093,0:02:16.140
People who experienced a lot of stress

0:02:16.140,0:02:17.140
but did not view stress as harmful [br]were no more likely to die.

0:02:17.140,0:02:21.845
In fact, they had the lowest risk[br]of dying of anyone in the study,

0:02:21.845,0:02:25.235
including people who had [br]relatively little stress.

0:02:25.235,0:02:29.093
Now the researchers estimated that over [br]the eight years they were tracking deaths,

0:02:29.093,0:02:37.080
182,000 Americans died prematurely, [br]not from stress,

0:02:37.080,0:02:40.461
but from the belief that stress[br]is bad for you.

0:02:40.461,0:02:41.461
(Laughter)

0:02:41.461,0:02:43.605
That is over 20,000 deaths a year.

0:02:43.605,0:02:47.612
Now, if that estimate is correct,

0:02:47.612,0:02:50.231
that would make believing stress is bad [br]for you the 15th largest cause of death

0:02:50.231,0:02:51.231
in the United States last year,

0:02:51.231,0:02:55.259
killing more people than skin cancer, [br]HIV/AIDS and homicide.

0:02:55.259,0:03:00.292
(Laughter)

0:03:00.292,0:03:02.951
You can see why this study freaked me out.

0:03:02.951,0:03:07.980
Here I've been spending so much energy [br]telling people stress is bad

0:03:07.980,0:03:08.980
for your health.

0:03:08.980,0:03:11.056
So this study got me wondering:

0:03:11.056,0:03:15.090
Can changing how you think about stress [br]make you healthier?

0:03:15.090,0:03:17.139
And here the science says yes.

0:03:17.139,0:03:21.681
When you change your mind about stress, [br]you can change

0:03:21.681,0:03:22.681
your body's response to stress.

0:03:22.681,0:03:24.455
Now to explain how this works,[br]I want you all to pretend

0:03:24.455,0:03:30.291
that you are participants[br]in a study designed to stress you out.

0:03:30.291,0:03:33.146
It's called the social stress test.

0:03:33.146,0:03:36.012
You come into the laboratory,

0:03:36.012,0:03:39.389
and you're told you have to give[br]a five-minute impromptu speech

0:03:39.389,0:03:45.265
on your personal weaknesses[br]to a panel of expert evaluators

0:03:45.265,0:03:47.782
sitting right in front of you, [br]and to make sure you feel the pressure,

0:03:47.782,0:03:50.108
there are bright lights and [br]a camera in your face, kind of like this.

0:03:50.108,0:04:06.895
And the evaluators have been trained[br]to give you discouraging,

0:04:06.895,0:04:09.533
non-verbal feedback like this. [br](Laughter)

0:04:09.533,0:04:12.847
Now that you're sufficiently demoralized, [br]time for part two: a math test.

0:04:12.847,0:04:19.979
And unbeknownst to you, the experimenter[br]has been trained to harass you during it.

0:04:19.979,0:04:25.848
Now we're going to all do this together.[br]It's going to be fun. For me.

0:04:25.848,0:04:33.347
Okay. I want you all to count backwards[br]from 996 in increments of seven.

0:04:33.347,0:04:39.702
You're going to do this out loud [br]as fast as you can, starting with 996. Go!

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Audience: (Counting)

0:04:42.601,0:04:48.305
Go faster. Faster please. You're [br]going too slow. Stop. Stop, stop, stop.

0:04:48.305,0:04:51.427
That guy made a mistake. We [br]are going to have to start all over again.

0:04:51.427,0:04:53.451
(Laughter)

0:04:53.451,0:04:56.302
You're not very good at this, are you? [br]Okay, so you get the idea.

0:04:56.302,0:05:00.520
Now, if you were actually in this study, [br]you'd probably be a little stressed out.

0:05:00.520,0:05:03.534
Your heart might be pounding, [br]you might be breathing faster,

0:05:03.534,0:05:05.292
maybe breaking out into a sweat.

0:05:05.292,0:05:06.289
And normally, [br]we interpret these physical changes

0:05:06.289,0:05:12.362
as anxiety or signs that we aren't [br]coping very well with the pressure.

0:05:12.362,0:05:17.542
But what if you viewed them instead [br]as signs that your body was energized,

0:05:17.542,0:05:20.736
was preparing you to meet this challenge?

0:05:20.736,0:05:26.829
Now that is exactly what participants [br]were told in a study conducted

0:05:26.829,0:05:31.063
at Harvard University. Before [br]they went through the social stress test,

0:05:31.063,0:05:32.063
they were taught to rethink [br]their stress response as helpful.

0:05:32.063,0:05:34.846
That pounding heart [br]is preparing you for action.

0:05:34.846,0:05:35.846
If you're breathing faster,[br]it's no problem.

0:05:35.846,0:05:42.340
It's getting more oxygen to your brain.

0:05:42.340,0:05:47.435
And participants who learned [br]to view the stress response

0:05:47.435,0:05:50.304
as helpful for their performance, well, [br]they were less stressed out,

0:05:50.304,0:05:53.982
less anxious, more confident, [br]but the most fascinating finding to me

0:05:53.982,0:05:54.982
was how their physical stress response changed.

0:05:54.982,0:06:03.837
Now, in a typical stress response, [br]your heart rate goes up,

0:06:03.837,0:06:04.837
and your blood vessels constrict like this.

0:06:04.837,0:06:10.183
And this is one of the reasons that[br]chronic stress is sometimes associated

0:06:10.183,0:06:13.131
with cardiovascular disease.

0:06:13.131,0:06:14.131
It's not really healthy [br]to be in this state all the time.

0:06:14.131,0:06:17.768
But in the study, when participants [br]viewed their stress response as helpful,

0:06:17.768,0:06:20.131
their blood vessels stayed relaxed like this.

0:06:20.131,0:06:25.186
Their heart was still pounding, but this [br]is a much healthier

0:06:25.186,0:06:26.186
cardiovascular profile.

0:06:26.186,0:06:33.682
It actually looks a lot like what happens[br]in moments of joy and courage.

0:06:33.682,0:06:36.986
Over a lifetime of stressful experiences,[br]this one biological change

0:06:36.986,0:06:43.467
could be the difference between a [br]stress-induced heart attack at age 50

0:06:43.467,0:06:46.414
and living well into your 90s.

0:06:46.414,0:06:52.357
And this is really what the new science [br]of stress reveals,

0:06:52.357,0:06:53.357
that how you think about stress matters.

0:06:53.357,0:06:57.491
So my goal as a health psychologist [br]has changed. I no longer want to get rid of your stress.

0:06:57.491,0:06:58.491
that how you think about stress matters.

0:06:58.491,0:07:04.054
I want to make you better at stress. [br]And we just did a little intervention.

0:07:04.054,0:07:08.461
If you raised your hand and said you'd [br]had a lot of stress in the last year,

0:07:08.461,0:07:09.461
we could have saved your life,

0:07:09.461,0:07:13.461
your heart is pounding from stress, [br]because hopefully the next time

0:07:13.461,0:07:17.107
you're going to remember this talk [br]and you're going to think to yourself,

0:07:17.107,0:07:23.858
this is my body helping me[br]rise to this challenge.

0:07:23.858,0:07:24.858
And when you view stress in that way,

0:07:24.858,0:07:29.692
your body believes you, [br]and your stress response becomes healthier.

0:07:29.692,0:07:36.460
Now I said I have over a decade of [br]demonizing stress to redeem myself from,

0:07:36.460,0:07:39.437
so we are going to do one more intervention.[br]I want to tell you about

0:07:39.437,0:07:44.304
one of the most under-appreciated[br]aspects of the stress response,

0:07:44.304,0:07:49.744
and the idea is this: [br]Stress makes you social.

0:07:49.744,0:07:53.901
To understand this side of stress, [br]we need to talk about a hormone, oxytocin,

0:07:53.901,0:07:59.372
and I know oxytocin has already[br]gotten as much hype as a hormone can get.

0:07:59.372,0:08:02.281
It even has its own cute nickname, [br]the cuddle hormone,

0:08:02.281,0:08:05.190
because it's released when you hug someone.

0:08:05.190,0:08:08.584
But this is a very small part of what[br]oxytocin is involved in.

0:08:08.584,0:08:11.979
Oxytocin is a neuro-hormone.

0:08:11.979,0:08:16.712
It fine-tunes your brain's [br]social instincts.

0:08:16.712,0:08:21.445
It primes you to do things [br]that strengthen close relationships.

0:08:21.445,0:08:24.953
Oxytocin makes you crave physical contact [br]with your friends and family.

0:08:24.953,0:08:28.461
It enhances your empathy.

0:08:28.461,0:08:32.688
It even makes you more willing to help [br]and support the people you care about.

0:08:32.688,0:08:36.980
Some people have even suggested we should[br]snort oxytocin

0:08:36.980,0:08:41.273
to become more compassionate and caring.

0:08:41.273,0:08:46.276
But here's what most people don't understand about oxytocin.

0:08:46.276,0:08:51.280
It's a stress hormone.

0:08:51.280,0:08:56.330
Your pituitary gland pumps this stuff out [br]as part of the stress response.

0:08:56.330,0:08:59.386
It's as much a part of [br]your stress response

0:08:59.386,0:09:02.443
as the adrenaline [br]that makes your heart pound.

0:09:02.443,0:09:05.191
And when oxytocin is released [br]in the stress response,

0:09:05.191,0:09:07.940
it is motivating you to seek support.

0:09:07.940,0:09:12.127
Your biological stress response [br]is nudging you to

0:09:12.127,0:09:16.315
tell someone how you feel [br]instead of bottling it up.

0:09:16.315,0:09:19.807
Your stress response wants to [br]make sure you notice

0:09:19.807,0:09:23.300
when someone else in your life is [br]struggling so that you can

0:09:23.300,0:09:26.586
support each other. [br]When life is difficult,

0:09:26.586,0:09:30.096
your stress response wants you [br]to be surrounded by

0:09:30.096,0:09:33.606
people who care about you.

0:09:33.606,0:09:37.952
Okay, so how is knowing this side of [br]stress going to make you healthier?

0:09:37.952,0:09:42.448
Well, oxytocin doesn't only act [br]on your brain. It also acts on your body,

0:09:42.448,0:09:46.403
and one of its main roles in your body [br]is to protect your cardiovascular system

0:09:46.403,0:09:50.359
from the effects of stress.[br]It's a natural anti-inflammatory.

0:09:50.359,0:09:56.109
It also helps your blood vessels [br]stay relaxed during stress.

0:09:56.109,0:09:59.782
But my favorite effect on the body [br]is actually on the heart.

0:09:59.782,0:10:03.662
Your heart has receptors for this hormone,[br]and oxytocin helps heart cells regenerate

0:10:03.662,0:10:18.059
and heal from any stress-induced damage.[br]This stress hormone strengthens your heart,

0:10:20.413,0:10:21.635
and the cool thing is that all of these [br]physical benefits of oxytocin

0:10:21.635,0:10:22.858
are enhanced by social contact[br]and social support,

0:10:22.858,0:10:26.609
so when you reach out to others under [br]stress, either to seek support

0:10:26.609,0:10:32.336
or to help someone else, [br]you release more of this hormone,

0:10:32.336,0:10:34.661
your stress response becomes healthier, [br]and you actually

0:10:34.661,0:10:36.986
recover faster from stress.

0:10:36.986,0:10:41.658
I find this amazing, [br]that your stress response

0:10:41.658,0:10:46.331
has a built-in mechanism [br]for stress resilience,

0:10:46.331,0:10:51.544
and that mechanism is human connection.

0:10:51.544,0:10:54.652
I want to finish by telling you [br]about one more study.

0:10:54.652,0:10:58.454
And listen up, [br]because this study could also save a life.

0:10:58.454,0:11:02.296
This study tracked about [br]1,000 adults in the United States,

0:11:02.296,0:11:08.285
and they ranged in age from 34 to 93, [br]and they started the study by asking,

0:11:08.285,0:11:12.791
"How much stress [br]have you experienced in the last year?"

0:11:12.791,0:11:17.703
They also asked,[br]"How much time have you spent

0:11:17.703,0:11:22.616
helping out friends, neighbors,[br]people in your community?"

0:11:22.616,0:11:28.108
And then they used public records for [br]the next five years to find out who died.

0:11:28.108,0:11:30.495
Okay, so the bad news first:

0:11:30.495,0:11:33.377
For every major stressful [br]life experience,

0:11:33.377,0:11:36.259
like financial difficulties [br]or family crisis,

0:11:36.259,0:11:40.735
that increased the risk of dying [br]by 30 percent.

0:11:40.735,0:11:43.814
But -- and I hope you [br]are expecting a but by now --

0:11:43.814,0:11:46.894
but that wasn't true for everyone.

0:11:46.894,0:11:52.022
People who spent time caring for others [br]showed absolutely

0:11:52.022,0:11:57.151
no stress-related increase in dying. Zero.

0:11:57.151,0:12:00.904
Caring created resilience.

0:12:00.904,0:12:03.863
And so we see once again [br]that the harmful effects of stress

0:12:03.863,0:12:06.822
on your health are not inevitable.

0:12:06.822,0:12:13.252
How you think and how you act [br]can transform your experience of stress.

0:12:13.252,0:12:16.792
When you choose to view [br]your stress response as helpful,

0:12:16.792,0:12:20.333
you create the biology of courage.

0:12:20.333,0:12:23.971
And when you choose [br]to connect with others under stress,

0:12:23.971,0:12:27.610
you can create resilience.

0:12:27.610,0:12:35.493
Now I wouldn't necessarily ask [br]for more stressful experiences in my life,

0:12:35.493,0:12:41.833
but this science has given me [br]a whole new appreciation for stress.

0:12:41.833,0:12:46.219
Stress gives us access to our hearts.

0:12:46.219,0:12:51.370
The compassionate heart that finds joy[br]and meaning in connecting with others,

0:12:51.370,0:12:55.831
and yes, your pounding physical heart, [br]working so hard

0:12:55.831,0:13:00.292
to give you strength and energy,

0:13:00.292,0:13:03.158
and when you choose to view stress[br]in this way,

0:13:03.158,0:13:06.024
you're not just getting better at stress,

0:13:06.024,0:13:09.982
you're actually making [br]a pretty profound statement.

0:13:09.982,0:13:16.365
You're saying that you can trust [br]yourself to handle life's challenges,

0:13:16.365,0:13:22.158
and you're remembering [br]that you don't have to face them alone.

0:13:22.158,0:13:23.641
Thank you.

0:13:23.641,0:13:33.427
(Applause)

0:13:33.427,0:13:36.718
Chris Anderson: This is kind of amazing, [br]what you're telling us.

0:13:36.718,0:13:40.088
It seems amazing to me [br]that a belief about stress

0:13:40.088,0:13:43.458
can make so much difference [br]to someone's life expectancy.

0:13:43.458,0:13:46.081
How would that extend to advice, [br]like, if someone is making

0:13:46.081,0:13:48.705
a lifestyle choice between,[br]say, a stressful job

0:13:48.705,0:13:55.010
and a non-stressful job, [br]does it matter which way they go?

0:13:55.010,0:13:57.635
It's equally wise to go [br]for the stressful job

0:13:57.635,0:14:00.260
so long as you believe [br]that you can handle it, in some sense?

0:14:00.260,0:14:01.822
Kelly McGonigal: Yeah,[br]and one thing we know for certain

0:14:01.822,0:14:04.261
is that chasing meaning [br]is better for your health

0:14:04.261,0:14:06.700
than trying to avoid discomfort.

0:14:06.700,0:14:08.140
And so I would say [br]that's really the best way

0:14:08.140,0:14:09.580
to make decisions, is go after [br]what it is that creates meaning

0:14:09.580,0:14:14.828
in your life and then trust yourself [br]to handle the stress that follows.

0:14:14.828,0:14:18.181
Chris Anderson: Thank you so much, Kelly. [br]It's pretty cool.

0:14:18.181,0:14:21.535
KM: Thank you.

0:14:21.535,0:14:24.104
(Applause)