The Shocking Truth About Stress: Why Trying To Be ‘Fearless’ Is Ruining Your Life

In this episode of Truth Works, Jessica Neal sits down with stress physiologist and author Dr. Rebecca Heiss to dismantle everything you’ve been taught about stress, fear, and burnout. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m stressed, this is bad, I need to make it go away,” this conversation will flip your entire mental model.

Rebecca explains why stress is a feature, not a bug, and why the belief that stress is “killing you” is often more dangerous than the stress itself. She breaks down how our cave-brain still thinks every hard conversation at work is a tiger about to eat us, why helplessness isn’t learned – it’s our default setting, and how to “invite the tiger in for tea” instead of trying (and failing) to shut it out.

Jessica opens up about panic attacks, stage fright in front of thousands, and the pressure to always “have it figured out,” while Rebecca shows how to turn that same fear into fuel, especially at work and in leadership. They dig into:

• Why the most meaningful, purpose-filled moments of your life are also the most stressful
• How to reframe anxiety as energy and excitement, not a personal failing
• Why parents are often less happy but more fulfilled
• How social media hijacks our need for acceptance and amplifies shame
• The truth about burnout, being “tired but wired,” and Rebecca’s “disaster diary”
• What great leaders should actually do with their own stress so they don’t infect their teams

If you feel guilty for resting, terrified of slowing down, or secretly convinced you’re an imposter who should “already know all the things,” this episode will hit uncomfortably close in the best possible way. You’ll walk away with a new lens: stress as your competitive advantage, not your enemy.