Kelly McGonigal has a little different view on stress. She wants to make it your friend. If you experience stress as something negative our bodies react negativly but if you view the physical signals of stress – higher pulse, quicker breathing etc – as signs of your body raising to the challenge, your body will react in a positive way to stress. So next time you are about to give a lecture, think of your stress reaction as something positive. The heart pumping faster? More blood to your body. Quicker breathing? No problem, more oxygen to the brain.

Listen to the TEDtalk by Kelly McGonigal, (about 14:30 minutes long).