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Stress isn’t new, but how we respond to it can change everything. 

We often treat stress like a problem to eliminate. But what if it’s actually a signal? A nudge from your body, your mind, even your spirit, saying: Something here matters. 

This week, we’re unpacking one of the most talked-about, misunderstood forces in our lives, stress, and how it can be reshaped, rechanneled, and reframed. Whether you’re battling burnout, carrying invisible tension, or just trying to stay steady through life’s demands, this one’s for you. 

We’ll break down: 

• How stress shows up in everyday life (and how it’s been hiding in our past topics)  
• What stress does to your brain and body  
• How movement, mindset, and recovery can change your response  
• How to tell the difference between toxic stress and productive pressure  
• Tools to help you reset, reframe, and rebuild this week  

Stress isn’t going anywhere. But with the right mindset, and the right habits, it can become a training partner, not a threat. 

Let’s get into it. 

What Is Stress? 

Stress is your body and brain’s natural response to a demand. 

Whether that demand is physical, emotional, mental, or environmental, stress is the signal that something important needs your attention. 

But stress isn’t just one thing, it’s a spectrum. Sometimes it’s energizing. Other times, it’s exhausting. It depends on how long it lasts, how intense it feels, and how prepared you are to handle it. 

You’ve felt it before: 

• A tight chest or racing thoughts before a deadline  
• The restless energy before a big life change  
• Snapping at someone when your system’s overloaded  
• Feeling wired and tired at the same time, unsure how to slow down  

And even when we didn’t name it directly, stress has been a recurring theme: 

• In Emotional Intelligence, it showed up as reactive patterns and mental flooding   
• In Breakthroughs, it was the plateau before growth   
• In Direction, it was movement without clarity   
• In Anxiety, it was the body bracing for what might go wrong   

The truth is: 

Stress isn’t just about what’s happening. It’s about how your system interprets what’s happening. 

That interpretation shapes your focus, your energy, your emotions, and your physical health. 

This week, we’re not trying to eliminate stress. 

We’re here to understand it, and use it as a tool for strength, awareness, and resilience. 

Michael’s Perspective: When Stress Comes with a Number 

I turned 32 this week. And honestly, I don’t really care about birthdays in the traditional sense. It’s not about celebration. It’s a checkpoint. 

Where am I? 

What have I done? 

What haven’t I done yet? 

That’s where the stress creeps in. Not from the number itself, but from what people assume that number should mean, what I’m supposed to have achieved by now, what I “shouldn’t” still be figuring out. 

The irony is, I spend most of my time training, writing, or coaching others to push themselves past limits. I talk about how performance isn’t tied to age. I believe that. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t still a voice in the back of my head questioning it, asking whether I missed something, whether it’s too late to hit certain goals, or whether I’m already behind. 

That’s stress too. Not acute. Not life-threatening. Just lingering. Internal. 

And it’s easy to fall into that mindset where the stress feels like truth. But I’ve had to build a process for dealing with it, something I come back to any time the pressure starts to bleed into doubt. 

Here’s what that framework looks like for me: 

1. Prepare for the demands. 

Stress is worse when you’re underprepared. Training, planning, recovery, it all builds capacity.  

2. Embrace reality. 

Denial doesn’t help. I call it what it is. If something’s bothering me, I don’t try to out-grind it.  

3. Be mindful. 

Not in a yoga way. Just paying attention. Half the time I’m stressed, I’m reacting to something I didn’t even notice creeping in.  

4. Focus on the task, not the result. 

Thinking about the outcome only adds pressure. When I zoom in on what I need to do right now, this rep, this set, this sentence, I settle down.  

5. Compete against yourself. 

The second I start comparing timelines, I lose. I perform better when I’m tracking my progress, not measuring it against someone else’s.   

6. Zoom out. 

One race, one quarter, one tough year, it’s not everything. Stress collapses time. Zooming out gives me context again.  

7. Name what I’m feeling. 

If I don’t say it, it stays tangled. Saying “I feel behind” doesn’t mean I’m weak, it gives me something to work with.  

This isn’t some inspirational mindset switch. It’s just how I keep myself grounded. 

Stress, as author Steve Magness says, isn’t the enemy. It’s feedback. It’s your body asking, “Are you ready for this?” And sometimes the answer is no, but that doesn’t mean you quit. It means you get honest, get strategic, and get back to work. 

So yeah, I feel stress around age. Around goals I haven’t hit yet. Around wondering if the window’s closing. 

But I also know this: 

I’ve never regretted showing up. Even on the days I didn’t have it, the act of stepping back into the work always gave me more than stress ever took. 

The older I get, the more I realize it’s not about racing the clock. It’s about showing up with intention, every rep, every session, every year.

Bernie’s Perspective: Mosh Pits, Meltdowns, and Micro-Resets 

Let’s talk about the art of the reset. And no, I don’t mean unplugging your Wi-Fi when Zoom freezes, though that’s a survival skill in its own right. I’m talking about the kind of reset that stops you from becoming a caffeinated shell of yourself, just grinding through the day on autopilot. 

Flashback to the early 1980s: big hair, bigger suits, and a work culture that treated 80-hour weeks like a flex. I was 22, newly promoted to general manager, and convinced I’d made it. What I’d really done was step into the business world’s version of a mosh pit, no music, just stress, power ties, and way too much bad coffee. 

Back then, my version of “reset” was anything but mindful. Happy hour wasn’t just social, it was therapy. I didn’t know it yet, but I was borrowing energy I didn’t have and numbing signals I should’ve been listening to. 

Eventually, I hit a wall. The late nights stopped helping. The quick fixes stopped working. That was my first real reset. Not the kind that comes in a glass, but the kind that comes with hard choices, clean breaks, and a lot of uncomfortable clarity. 

Fast forward. I helped build a psychiatric hospital from the ground up with a team I believed in. And just when it felt like we had something powerful, a corporate buyout swept in and changed everything. Mission gave way to metrics. Colleagues scattered. It felt like the 80s all over again, only now I knew better. 

Here’s what I’ve learned, across all those chapters: resets aren’t just for crisis points. They’re for those everyday moments when your shoulders tighten, your breath shortens, and your patience thins. They’re for the days when the to-do list wins and you’re one email away from losing it on the printer. 

Resets don’t always mean quitting or reinventing your life. Sometimes they’re five minutes outside. Sometimes they’re a deep breath and a boundary. But they matter. They help you realign with what actually restores you, instead of what just numbs the noise. 

Looking back, I’m grateful for the chaos. It gave me perspective, and gave Tiger Resilience its roots. We built this platform not to tell people to power through, but to help them pause, reflect, and move forward with clarity. 

So I’ll leave you with this: When was the last time you hit reset? Big or small. Bold or quiet. If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear it. And if not, at least take that breath. 

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop, reassess, and start again with intention. 

Even tigers need a reset. Sometimes the bravest move is knowing when to hit the button.

The Science of Stress: What Happens in the Brain and Body 

Stress doesn’t just live in your head, it’s a full-body response built for survival. When something feels threatening or demanding, your system kicks into high alert. 

Let’s break it down: 

🧠 The Brain on Stress 

Your brain is the control center of the stress response, and it acts fast. 

• The hypothalamus signals your adrenal glands to release stress hormones, especially adrenaline and cortisol   

• The amygdala lights up, triggering fear and emotional reactivity   
• The prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and focus) goes into overdrive, or, if stress is too high, starts to shut down   
• Chronic stress can shrink the hippocampus (your memory hub) and disrupt neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine   
• Over time, this rewires the brain, making it harder to regulate emotions, stay focused, or recover after tough moments  

In short: a little stress sharpens focus. Too much stress fogs the system. 

🩺 The Body on Stress 

Once the signal is sent, your body reacts instantly, whether or not there’s real danger. 

• Adrenaline increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy   
• Cortisol raises blood sugar and diverts resources away from digestion, immunity, and long-term repair   
• You might feel:  
• Faster breathing  
• Muscle tension  
• Stomach knots  
• Trouble sleeping

 In small bursts, this is adaptive, it helps you respond to challenge  

But if it lingers, your body stays stuck in “high alert” mode  

Chronic stress does real damage: 

• Weakens the immune system  
• Disrupts hormones and metabolism  
• Increases risk of heart disease, anxiety, and inflammation-related illnesses  
• Delays recovery and impairs long-term physical performance  

The same stress response that can save your life in a moment can slowly break down your health if it never turns off.

📊 Stress by the Numbers 

Stress is more than a feeling, it’s one of the most common and costly health issues in the world. These numbers bring it into focus: 

• 76% of adults report that stress has negatively affected their health, often through fatigue, headaches, or mood swings.   
• 83% of American workers say they experience work-related stress, making it the top source of adult stress in the U.S.   
• Nearly 9 in 10 people admit that stress has disrupted their sleep, with financial and health worries leading the way.   
• 61% say stress leads to anxiety, while 51% report it contributes to depression. Many also experience memory issues and low motivation.   
• Long-term stress increases the risk of heart disease by 50%, and contributes to weight gain, inflammation, and immune suppression.   
• 46% admit to overeating or eating poorly due to stress, and 29% report drinking more when under pressure.   

But here’s the encouraging side: 

• 62% of adults who use physical activity to manage stress say it works extremely well, movement really does change your state.   
• Mindfulness programs at work have reduced employee stress levels by over 30%, improving focus and morale.   
• 75% of therapy clients report better coping skills and reduced emotional burden after just a few sessions.   
• People who engage in regular recovery practices, exercise, rest, connection, report stronger immunity, more energy, and fewer medical visits.  

Stress is widespread, but it’s not unstoppable. The right strategies don’t just reduce stress, they build resilience. 

🐅 Tiger Resilience Lens: Stress vs. Pressure 

Stress and pressure might feel similar, but they affect your system in completely different ways. 

Think of pressure as challenge with purpose. It sharpens. It focuses. 

Stress, when unmanaged, overwhelms. It drains. It scatters your energy. 

Here’s how they show up across the four domains: 

The Key Difference: 

• Stress happens when demands feel too heavy or unpredictable.   
• Pressure happens when challenge meets preparation and meaning.   

The goal isn’t to avoid pressure, it’s to build the capacity to handle it without tipping into stress. That’s resilience. 

🏋️ Michael’s Training Corner: Building Stress Tolerance Through Training 

Part 1: Cortisol, Adaptation, and Good Stress vs. Bad Stress 

We talk about stress like it’s always the enemy, but in training, it’s the whole point. 

When you lift, run, or push your body, you intentionally create stress. Cortisol goes up, heart rate rises, systems shift. But here’s the difference: that stress has a purpose, and your body knows how to adapt to it. 

• Cortisol spikes during training to mobilize energy and fuel performance   
• But with consistent movement and proper recovery, your baseline stress response improves   
• Over time, your system learns how to handle challenge without overreacting   
• That means fewer spikes during daily life, better recovery, and more mental clarity  

This is why people feel calmer after a workout, it’s not just the endorphins. You’re regulating your system, not just releasing steam. 

Stress isn’t always the problem. It’s whether you’ve trained your body to respond to it or collapse under it. 

Part 2: Volume, Intensity, and the 80/20 Rule 

Most people don’t get overwhelmed by one hard workout, they get overwhelmed by stacking intensity without recovery. 

Whether you're lifting or running, it’s not just how much stress you apply, it’s how often, and how intelligently. 

That’s where the 80/20 principle comes in. 

• In endurance training, 80% of sessions are easy, 20% are hard   
• That balance builds aerobic capacity, reinforces movement quality, and leaves room for recovery  
• In strength training, the same rule applies, not every lift needs to be a grind   
• Spend most of your training time moving well, staying controlled, and building volume without burnout  
• Then use the hard sessions strategically, push your limits, spike intensity, and stimulate adaptation  

Too much stress with no relief? You break down. 

The right stress, dosed well? You build back stronger. 

If your training is frying your nervous system, wrecking your sleep, or leaving you more anxious than focused, that’s not resilience, it’s overload. 

Train to regulate, not just to sweat. 

🌍 Real-World Spotlight: Kelly McGonigal on Turning Stress into Strength 

When it comes to reframing stress, Kelly McGonigal is one of the clearest voices out there. 

She’s a Stanford health psychologist and the author of The Upside of Stress. But what makes her work stand out isn’t just research, it’s the way she challenges everything we’ve been taught about stress being “toxic.” 

McGonigal’s big idea is simple: 

Stress is only harmful when you believe it is. 

In one study she often cites, adults who experienced high stress had a 43% higher risk of dying, but only if they believed stress was bad for them. Those who didn’t hold that belief lived longer, despite dealing with just as many challenges. 

Her TED Talk on this concept has over 25 million views, and for good reason. She helps people see stress differently: 

• That racing heart before a big moment? It’s your body preparing you to rise.  
• That fast breathing? It’s sending more oxygen to your brain.  
• That tension? It’s energy, waiting to be directed.  

She also highlights the hidden biology behind resilience: 

• Oxytocin, the “connection hormone,” is part of the stress response too   
• When you reach out for support under stress, your body actually heals faster and adapts better  
• Stress can strengthen your relationships, if you let it open you up instead of shutting you down   

McGonigal puts it best: 

“I no longer want to get rid of your stress. I want to make you better at stress.” 

That’s the shift we’re inviting this week. Not to eliminate stress, but to relate to it differently, so it becomes something that strengthens you, not something that breaks you. 

📓 Journal Exercise: Reset Your Relationship with Stress 

Stress can’t always be avoided, but it can be understood, reframed, and even used for growth. This week’s journal prompts are designed to help you tune into what your stress is trying to say, and how to respond to it with purpose, not panic. 

✍️ Part 1: Reflection 

Take 10–15 minutes to write freely. Let these questions guide your awareness: 

• What does stress feel like for you, physically, mentally, emotionally?  
• Where in your life do you feel the most tension or pressure right now?  
• How do you usually respond when stress shows up, do you push harder, shut down, avoid, or overfunction?  
• Can you recall a time when stress actually helped you perform, grow, or connect more deeply?  
• What’s one belief you’ve held about stress that might need to shift?  

⚙️ Part 2: Action 

Now let’s move from awareness to intention. Choose 1–2 of these and commit to them this week: 

• Reframe one stressor. Write a new story around it. 

Example: “This pressure at work means I care, and that I’m capable of handling big responsibilities.”   

• Pick a recovery ritual. It could be 10 minutes of walking, journaling, breathwork, or listening to music. something to calm your nervous system.   
• Reach out to someone. Stress is lighter when shared. Even one honest check-in can shift your emotional state.   
• Anchor into your why. Identify what matters most. When challenges connect to purpose, even pressure becomes meaningful.   

Want structured prompts like this every week? 

Grab our self-esteem journal, Awaken the Tiger, Rise like the Phoenix, a guided companion built on the Five Pillars of Purpose, Planning, Practice, Perseverance, and Providence. 

🛒 Available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Awaken-Tiger-Phoenix-build-Esteem/dp/B0DBRWTGS9 

🔥 Final Thoughts: Stress and the Five Pillars

Stress is part of life. It shows up in deadlines, in relationships, in health scares, in growth seasons. But stress alone doesn’t break us. 

It’s how we meet it that defines what it becomes. 

At Tiger Resilience, we don’t believe in avoiding stress, we believe in using it. And the way we use it is through the Five Pillars: 

• Purpose reminds us why the pressure matters. Stress without purpose feels like chaos. Stress with purpose feels like drive.   
• Planning helps us break big stressors into small, manageable actions. A plan turns overwhelm into forward motion.   
• Practice builds daily habits that regulate our nervous system, movement, sleep, breathwork, connection. The little things aren’t little.   
• Perseverance is what gets us through when stress lingers. It’s the grit to keep showing up, especially when it’s not easy.   
• Providence reconnects us to meaning. It’s the reminder that even the hard seasons can hold wisdom, if we’re willing to look deeper.   

So this week, don’t ask how to eliminate stress. Ask how you can respond to it with intention. 

Because stress doesn’t always mean something’s wrong. 

Sometimes it means you’re growing. 

Stay Resilient

Bernie & Michael

Tiger Resilience 🐅 

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 📚 References

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McGonigal, K. (2015). The Upside of Stress: Why stress is good for you, and how to get good at it. Avery. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Stress-Why-Good-You/dp/1101982934 ted.com+9amazon.com+9en.wikipedia.org+9   

McGonigal, K. (2013, June 11). The Upside of Stress: Kelly McGonigal at TEDGlobal 2013. Retrieved from https://blog.ted.com/the-upside-of-stress-kelly-mcgonigal-at-tedglobal-2013/ blog.ted.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1   

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National Geographic. (2025, April). Cortisol rises during intense workouts. Is that really a bad thing? Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/exercise-effect-cortisol-level nationalgeographic.com   

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