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The Genius Way to Feel Less Stressed

April 28, 2025

Most people think there’s nothing you can do about stress.

After all, you can’t just snap your fingers and wipe out the bills, make parenting any less exhausting, or stop your boss from dropping a fire drill on you at 5:59.

So you just live with it.

That’s a serious problem because stress is a killer.

A 20-year Penn State study found that people who got the most upset by everyday stress—things like arguments, traffic, or last-minute deadlines—were 43% more likely to die early, even if those stressors didn’t happen all that often.¹

The upshot: How you perceive and internalize stress plays a critical role in your health and longevity.

Here’s the good news: You can do something about it. And that’s especially true if you’re known as a “high-stress” person.

Want to find out how? I’m going to share a fascinating study that shows how a simple but powerful mindset shift around stress can actually reduce its harmful effects on your body.

This technique takes just 15 minutes, but it can help you feel a lot less frazzled on a daily basis. That not only improves your health—it makes you way more fun to be around. (Just ask your partner, friends, and coworkers!)

The Scientific Way to Lower Your Stress Levels

In a 2021 study, Griffith University researchers set out to see if they could help people develop a healthier “stress mindset” with a quick 15-minute activity.²

Put simply, developing a healthier stress mindset means shifting the way you think about stress—away from seeing it as purely harmful, and toward viewing it as something you can handle, and even grow from.

The result: Participants who adopted a “stress-is-enhancing” mindset—seeing stress as a force that can lead to growth and improved performance—reported better stress management, improved performance at work, and a stronger sense of control two weeks later. All from that original 15-minute exercise.

Even better, the most stressed participants experienced the biggest benefits, with some even reporting feeling healthier.

The key takeaway: How you think about stress can shape how you experience it.

If you see it as something that breaks you down, it’s more likely to feel overwhelming. But when you learn to see stress as a challenge that can make you stronger, it starts to affect you differently—both mentally and physically.

Here’s how to start, based on the techniques used in the study.

15 Minutes to a Calmer Mind

Take 15 minutes to do the following exercise. In the study, participants did it just once and still experienced measurable benefits two weeks later. The researchers didn’t track what happened beyond that point, but based on earlier studies, it’s likely that repeating the exercise could help sustain or even deepen the effects.

1. Identify your stressors

Write down what’s currently causing you stress. Being specific helps you understand what you’re dealing with.

Link stress to your values: Recognize that stress often comes from things you care about deeply. For example, “I’m stressed about this work project because I care about doing a good job and advancing in my career.”

2. Reflect on past experiences

Think about times when stress led to personal growth or achievement. For instance, recall a challenging project that you completed successfully or a difficult situation that you’ve been through before. You probably learned valuable lessons, including that you can handle it.

This can help you see stress as a motivator and a source of strength. Understanding that your past stressful experiences have made you more resilient can empower you to handle current stressors more effectively.

Examples:

“I remember feeling extremely stressed about my final exams in college, but I used that stress to stay focused and study effectively. I ended up performing well and gaining confidence in my abilities.”
“When I was facing financial difficulties, the stress motivated me to create a budget and stick to it. At the time, I thought I didn’t have any control over my problem, but taking this action helped me see that there were ways to address the root cause of my stress, as long as I was willing to make tradeoffs (like not owning a car that’s beyond my means and cutting back on non-essential expenses).”
“I once had a significant conflict with a close friend. The stress from the situation pushed me to have a difficult but necessary conversation, which ultimately strengthened our relationship and improved my communication skills.”

3. Adjust your reactions

Practice techniques like deep breathing or positive self-talk to manage your stress response. For instance, tell yourself, “This stress means I’m excited and ready for a challenge” rather than seeing it as a sign of being unprepared.

Remind yourself that you’ve faced this kind of thing before and are capable of overcoming it.

Examples:

Before a big meeting, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and tell yourself, “I’m prepared for this, and stress is just my body’s way of getting ready to perform at my best.”
When dealing with a tight deadline, break the task into smaller steps and tackle them one at a time, telling yourself, “I can handle this by taking it step by step and putting in my best effort. It’s worked time and time again for me.”
If you feel overwhelmed by a long to-do list, prioritize tasks and tackle them in order of importance, reminding yourself, “I’ve handled busy schedules before, and I can do it again.”

Everyday Tips for Improving Your Stress Mindset

The study activity was just a starting point. These regular habits can help retrain your brain to handle stress in a healthier way.

1. Daily affirmations: Start your day with positive affirmations about stress. For example, “Stress helps me grow and improve.”

2. Visualization: Visualize successful outcomes when you feel stressed. Imagine yourself handling the situation effectively and coming out stronger.

3. Gratitude journal: Keep a journal where you write about stressful experiences and how they led to positive outcomes or growth. This helps reinforce the idea that stress can be beneficial.

4. Mindfulness practice: Incorporate mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or yoga, to stay present and reduce the tendency to catastrophize stressful situations.

By incorporating these strategies, you can transform your experience of stress from something negative into a powerful tool for personal growth and achievement.

If you want to explore this concept deeper, the program participants used in the study is available for free. You can access it here.