Steve Magness是美国著名跑步教练，指导过不少顶尖运动员和奥运选手。他有自己的油管频道和Instagram 账号，写过不少关于运动与心理方面的文章和书。最近看到他说的关于如何对待挑战与压力（物理上的和精神上的），已及顶尖运动员的心理技巧。这些技巧不仅仅可以用在体育竞赛中，也适用于平时的工作生活中。
这是他分享的他的书中的一些摘抄。
Stress isn't your enemy. It's your body preparing for action.
But how you perceive stress can be detrimental -or empowering.
Do you see it as a threat or a challenge?
As anxiety or excitement?
Framing doesn't just impact your psychology, it changes your biology:
Psychologists define a challenge state as when you believe your resources meet or exceed the demands of a situation.
A threat state is when the demands feel greater than your capacity.
Same pressure. Different perception.
And that perception determines whether stress becomes fuel-or a fuse.
In a challenge state, your body mobilizes efficiently: increased cardiac output, improved blood flow, sharpened focus.
In a threat state, the same systems go haywire: higher vascular resistance, impaired performance, and slower recovery.
You're not just thinking differently— you're physically operating in a different gear.
Research from Stanford shows that how we appraise stress-challenge vs. threat-can predict performance under pressure.
Students trained to view stress as a challenge performed better on exams, recovered faster, and felt more in control.
Your body listens to your beliefs.
Frame matters.
It's not just psychology. It's biology.
In a challenge state, your body releases more testosterone -boosting confidence, motivation, and approach behavior.
In a threat state, cortisol dominates -heightening anxiety, shrinking attention, and driving avoidance.
These aren't just abstract hormones-they shape how you show up.
Stress is a fork in the road. Your frame decides which chemical path you take.
This doesn't mean toxic positivity or pretending things aren't hard.
It means telling yourself a fuller truth:
This is tough-and I have what it takes to meet it.
That subtle shift can move you from spiraling into panic to stepping into purpose.
Confidence isn't about eliminating fear. It's about trusting your capacity.
Athletes do this instinctively.
They don't deny the stakes-they embrace them as a test.
It's not I hope I survive this, it's Let's see what l've got.
That frame is the foundation of high performance.
So next time you feel overwhelmed, pause and ask:
- ???What story am I telling myself about this moment?
- ???Can I shift the interpretation from anxiety to excitement, from angst to my body getting prepared for action.
You can't always choose your stress, but you can influence your stance.
And that makes all the difference.
The goal isn't to avoid stress. That's impossible.
The goal is to train your mind and body to meet it with strength, clarity, and presence.
See it not as a threat to fear —but as a challenge to rise to.
Because how you frame the moment becomes your experience of it.
