Join Kelly McGonigal, a Stanford GSB lecturer and best-selling author, as she dives into the upsides of anxiety in communication. She reveals how nervousness can signal your investment in the moment, transforming it into a communication asset. McGonigal shares strategies to channel stress into engagement, emphasizing curiosity, passion, and honesty. Discover how physical movement can enhance mood and connection while navigating communication with authenticity and trust. It’s a fresh take on embracing anxiety for better interactions!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embrace Anxiety
Reframe anxiety as a sign of caring and presence, not a weakness.
Embrace the physiological responses as energy to fuel your communication.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Communicate Clearly
Use concrete details and avoid abstract language in communication.
Focus on sparking the audience's thoughts and questions, not just presenting information.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hidden Details
Kelly McGonigal recounts a student hiding a specific detail in their research due to fear of criticism.
This highlights the tendency to avoid potential points of challenge.
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How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
Kelly McGonigal
In 'The Willpower Instinct,' Kelly McGonigal explains the science behind self-control and provides practical strategies to enhance willpower. The book is based on her 10-week course at Stanford University and covers topics such as the physiology of self-control, the role of stress and dopamine, and techniques like meditation and breathing exercises to improve willpower. McGonigal breaks down willpower into three categories: 'I will' (doing things that improve your life), 'I won’t' (avoiding things that undermine your health and happiness), and 'I want' (focusing on long-term goals). The book offers experiments and challenges to help readers apply the theories in their daily lives and improve their overall health, happiness, and productivity.
The Joy of Movement
How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage
Kelly McGonigal
In 'The Joy of Movement,' Kelly McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology to show how movement is intertwined with basic human joys such as self-expression, social connection, and mastery. The book highlights stories of people who have found fulfillment and belonging through various forms of exercise, from running and walking to dancing and weightlifting. It illustrates how movement can create happiness, meaning, and connection, and serves as a powerful antidote to modern mental health issues. McGonigal also explores topics like the runner's high, exercise addiction, the impact of music on workouts, and the benefits of exercising outdoors, emphasizing the role of movement in our happiness and humanity.
Stress, anxiety, nervousness — when these feelings inevitably arise, lecturer Kelly McGonigal says it’s not about making them go away, but using them to your advantage.
“What I have come to value about anxiety,” says McGonigal, “is it’s a sign that I care.” As she explains, feelings of stress alert us to things that matter to us and help us stay present in the moment — particularly useful, she says, when it comes to communication.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McGonigal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to channel stress toward more effective communication and to a deeper connection to our own purpose and meaning.
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Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques 
