Stress In The Workplace: What If It’s Not The Enemy?

Stress has a branding problem.

For years, we’ve been told stress is toxic, something to eliminate, manage down or escape. But as a stress physiologist, I can tell you: stress itself isn’t the villain. It’s a biological performance enhancer.

Cortisol sharpens focus. Adrenaline mobilizes energy. Oxytocin—yes, a stress hormone—increases connection and trust under pressure. These systems evolved to help us rise to challenges, not retreat from them.

The real issue isn’t stress. It’s untrained stress.

When we interpret every deadline, difficult conversation or organizational change as a “tiger,” our nervous system reacts as if survival is at stake. But when we learn to reinterpret that same physiological response as readiness, as fuel, performance improves.

Research shows that individuals who view stress as enhancing tend to have better health outcomes and stronger performance under pressure than those who view it as harmful.

For organizations, this shift matters. Leaders who model productive stress responses create cultures of courage, innovation and accountability. Teams that move through pressure together build trust rather than burnout.

Stress is not going away. In a rapidly evolving world, we have to learn to flow with it, leaning into challenges rather than threats.

The question isn’t how do we eliminate stress. It’s how do we train ourselves and our teams to use it.

Learn how to put stress to work for your team.