How to Turn Stress Into a Superpower: A Coach's Guide to the Christmas and New Year Holiday Season and Stress Management
- DisciplineFitnessCoach
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The Christmas and New Year holiday season can be great. It can also bring its fair share of stress.
But that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.
In fact, there are evidence-based ways to turn your stress into a superpower—during the holidays and year-round.
That way, instead of watching challenges derail your progress, you can harness that pressure for greater growth and resilience on the path to looking, feeling, and functioning your best.
You'll feel like you have a genuine superpower… and the results will speak for themselves.
Today I'm going to share a 4-step exercise to help you do exactly that.
But first, let's take a peek at exciting new research that explains why this genius method works so well…
Did you know that your mindset has a profound impact on how you respond to stress management?
For example, people who see stress as a growth opportunity tend to thrive in stressful situations. They harness their body's stress response to boost their performance, health, and well-being.
On the flip side, people who think of stress as debilitating don't fare so well. Their negative outlook amplifies their stress and causes them to avoid it rather than face or harness it.
☝️ That's all old news.
But here's what's new: Research has emerged from Alia Crum, PhD and other researchers at Stanford University, who posed these questions:
Can someone with a "stress is debilitating" mindset change?
Can they become someone who sees stress as a positive?
Dr. Crum and the other researchers designed a series of experiments to find out.
Read on to see what the study discovered—and learn a simple 4-step exercise that helps your mind and body respond better to stress…
What the study found
Dr. Crum's team suspected people could learn to train their metacognition (how you think about thinking) to perceive stress differently.
To test this theory, they taught participants a step-by-step process designed to help them reframe their mindset about stress.
Over a series of experiments, this "reframing" practice consistently helped the participants change their mindset from "stress is debilitating" to "stress is enhancing."
This mindset shift resulted in measurable improvements in physical health and interpersonal skills!
The key takeaway: Stress isn't always "bad." How we perceive stress can determine whether it breaks us—or becomes a catalyst for growth and resilience.
4 steps to reframe your stress
You're likely wondering: How can you experience the same benefits as the participants in the study?
Below, I will outline the approach they used—an approach I integrate into my nutrition coaching at Discipline Fitness Coach, because true results come from addressing not just what you eat and how you train, but how you manage the stress that impacts both.
Step 1: Understand how the stress mindset works
How you think about stress can affect your reaction to it. Ask yourself:
Have there been times when stress has benefited you? (For example, maybe you welcomed a hard work assignment or a challenging fitness goal.)
Have there been times when your mindset about stress has harmed you? (For example, maybe you avoid the dentist, which has harmed your dental health.)
Step 2: Notice and name your stress
Think about a stressor that pops up a lot in your life.
At this point, you don't need to try to solve the problem or even form an opinion about it. Instead, you're merely noticing it and describing your response to it:
How does the stress make you feel emotionally (for example, sad or angry)?
How does it make you feel physically (for example, a racing heart or tense muscles)?
How does it affect your behaviour?
Step 3: Welcome the stress
Find value in the stressor.
Rather than seeing it as uncomfortable or terrible, try to think of stress as a signal that something important is at stake.
Complete the sentence: "I am stressed about this because I care about…"
You can use the "Five Whys" technique to dig even deeper here.
Each time you identify what you care about, ask why. Then ask why again. Keep asking why until you uncover the "true" or underlying reason behind your stress.
Step 4: Turn stress into your superpower
Now, it's time to harness your stress for growth.
Ask yourself questions like:
How could the stress help me in this situation? What opportunities does it provide?
What changes could I make to allow stress to enhance my experience?
What opportunities or insights does the stress provide for me? (For example, stress may point you to a problem you want to solve.)
By pondering these questions, you may begin to see your stressors in a more positive light, which can enhance your resilience and improve how you feel and respond.
The bigger picture: Why stress management matters for your fitness goals
If you're working on improving your fitness and nutrition, but your stress is out of control…
You'll continue to fight an uphill battle.
That's why focusing only on eating and exercising is never enough.
At Discipline Fitness Coach, my nutrition coaching takes a holistic approach—addressing not just macros and meal plans, but the sleep, stress, and recovery factors that determine whether your hard work in the gym actually translates into results.
Because real transformation happens when all the pieces work together.
