For years, Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal held the conventional view that stress is bad for you. Not anymore,

In a new book, “The Upside of Stress,” she reveals new research that shows stress is bad for you only if you believe it to be damaging.

In fact, she argues there are an abundance of studies that have found people who live with stress but do not view it as harmful were the healthiest people of all, the Financial Times reports.

McGonigal notes, however, that stress is an important signifier, not something to be ignored.
“You don’t stress out about things you don’t care about, and you can’t create a meaningful life without experiencing some stress,” she says.

She suggests a three-step approach to stress: acknowledge it, recognize that it’s a response to something you care about, then make use of the energy it brings.