Book Review: The Upside of Stress

The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is good for you, and how to get good at it.

By Kelly McGonigal

Here on Amazon. Book recommendation from Nick Haschka. 

The book's premise is that the common narrative that ‘stress is bad for you’ is wrong.

That’s the wrong mindset regarding stress. We should see stress as something to embrace. ‘Feeling burdened rather than uplifted by everyday duties is more a mindset than a measure of what is going on in your life.’

One of the more compelling parts of the book is the demystification of the scientific studies about the ‘terrible impacts of stress on the body.’ The evidence for that narrative comes from rat studies where they practically drown the rats and have them harassed for hours by cats daily to the point of mental destruction. The author says this is trauma, not stress, which makes sense.

Why is stress good?

1. Stress is positively correlated with having meaning in your life. “The higher a nation’s stress index, the higher the nation’s well-being.” Linking stressful events to values that give your life meaning. This helps one think of stress as giving one power, control, and freedom over their life. You can develop a mindset where you see yourself as someone who overcomes difficulties. 

2. Stress releases chemicals that help us perform well. Having a mindset when you feel anxious that pushes you towards excitement is better than wanting to be calm - because if you are excited, then you’ll likely perform better.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Could it be a blog? Probably. Is it also a Ted Talk? Yup, here. Reading the full book provides a greater appreciation for the research reasoning and increases the likelihood that you will adopt the mindset lessons.