Kelly mcgonigal stress research

Much of her work focuses on positive psychology, the mind-body connection, self-compassion, mindfulness, and strategies for managing different kinds of stress.

Kelly mcgonigal husband

She is also an advocate for movement and exercise as a way to improve well-being. McGonigal strives to distill neuroscientific and psychological insights into practical strategies that everyday people can use. She has dedicated much of her time to advising non-profits and other organizations on how to implement evidence-based strategies for increasing well-being in settings like the workplace and schools.

She has also helped create the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training program, which helps people work toward heightening their empathy and compassion.

Kelly mcgonigal podcast

Mindfulness and self-compassion can be effective coping strategies for stress, anxiety, and fear. McGonigal describes how you can use mindfulness practices to help a client begin to overcome their fear by using the following steps:. But Dr. McGonigal likes to emphasize that research [3] suggests the way we think about our stress can impact whether it positively or negatively impacts us — more so than the sheer amount of stress we experience.

Based on this finding, Dr. McGonigal encourages people to change the way they view their stress. So instead of seeing stress as a form of anxiety, we can view it as a sign that our bodies are becoming energized to help us to rise to the challenge we are facing. Part of that is due to the neurohormone oxytocin. But oxytocin also plays an important role in the stress response.

Not only that, but it also protects the cardiovascular system from some of the harmful effects of stress. Clients might struggle with finding the willpower to make positive changes in their lives. McGonigal does emphasize one factor that can be key in helping clients cultivate their willpower.