While executives spend billions on meditation apps, yoga retreats, and wellness programs, American stress levels continue to skyrocket. A recent study of 90 workplace wellness interventions found most (with one exception detailed below*) had no positive effect—and sometimes even made things worse. Our research from last year found that the majority of us tend to stress out more trying to get rid of stress. Talk about a negative spiral!

We’re trying harder than ever to eliminate stress, yet workplace anxiety has reached crisis levels, just in time for AI disruption to take people over the edge.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: You’ll never eliminate stress from your career (or your life). But as a stress physiologist, I’m here to tell you that’s actually a good thing! My research reveals that our obsession with stress reduction is fundamentally flawed. Instead of fighting stress, the most successful professionals learn to harness it.

The only people with zero stress are dead people. Our aim should not be death.

Here are five evidence-based strategies to rewire how you can work with stress—not against it.

1. Reframe Your Biology as Your Competitive Edge

When your heart pounds before a big presentation, your brain screams “danger.” But that physiological response—increased heart rate, heightened alertness, elevated energy—is identical to excitement. The difference lies in interpretation.

A Harvard study found that participants who stated “I am excited” before delivering speeches were rated as significantly more persuasive and confident than those who tried to “stay calm.” The nervous energy remained the same, but performance dramatically improved.

Stop telling yourself to calm down. Your stress response is a feature, not a flaw. Start declaring: “This energy is preparing me to excel.” Your stress response isn’t sabotaging you—it’s upgrading your operating system.

2. Ask “Is This Actually a Tiger?”

Your brain evolved to treat missed emails like charging predators. This served our ancestors well but creates havoc in modern workplaces. When stress hits, pause and ask: “Will this kill me in the next three minutes?”

If not, you’re experiencing what I call a “paper tiger”—a stressor that feels life-threatening but isn’t. Once you recognize the false alarm, you can redirect that energy productively instead of spiralling into fight-or-flight paralysis.

3. Convert Anxiety into Anger—Strategically

When facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, excitement might feel impossible. That’s where anger becomes your ally. Studies reveal that anger increases effort toward goals and sparks greater creativity than neutral emotional states.

The key is directing anger at the problem, not people. Instead of fuming at difficult colleagues, channel that energy toward solving systemic issues. Transform “This situation is impossible” into “This problem needs fixing, and I’m going to figure out how.”

Anger mobilizes action. Point it in the right direction.

4. Think Micro-Goals, Not Mega-Outcomes

Stress often stems from feeling overwhelmed by massive objectives. Break intimidating projects into actions so small they’re nearly impossible to fail. When you complete micro-goals, your brain releases dopamine, creating an addictive cycle of progress.

When we think we have to leap Everest in a single jump, or relearn our entire job because of AI, our brain naturally defaults to helplessness. But by taking action, even incredibly small moves, we begin to regain agency and feel more in control. This “actionable hope” ultimately moves us beyond our state of learned helplessness.

Ask yourself: “What’s the smallest possible step forward?” Then take it. Winning becomes neurologically addictive (even if the perfect outcome isn’t guaranteed).

5. Make It Bigger Than You

The most transformative reframe involves expanding your perspective beyond personal gain. When you anchor goals in serving something larger—your team, customers, community—the fear centers in your brain quiet down.

Back to those workplace wellness studies. In the 90 workplace stress interventions, the only thing that consistently improved employee well-being was service to others. When stress serves a purpose beyond yourself, it transforms from burden to fuel.

Before your next high-stakes meeting, shift from “How do I not mess this up?” to “How can I serve my audience?” The stress remains, but now it’s powering something meaningful and reminding you that stress is often simply a barometer for how much you care.

The Paradox of Peak Performance

Olympic athletes don’t break world records during practice. They achieve greatness when pressure peaks. Your biggest professional breakthroughs likely occurred during your most stressful periods, not your calmest.

This isn’t about glorifying burnout or toxic work cultures. It’s about recognizing that stress, properly channeled, is the raw material of achievement. The goal isn’t elimination—it’s transformation.

Your stress isn’t going anywhere. But your relationship with it can change everything. Stop trying to manage it away. Start using it as the high-octane fuel it was designed to be.

The question isn’t whether you’ll face stress today; It’s whether you’ll let it defeat you or springboard you forward.