Health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., joins us on the Collective Insights podcast. She is a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” Today she shares with us a different view towards understanding stress, as she discusses why stress has benefits. It turns out that stress is what allows us to experience meaning, to make a difference in the world, to make progress on our goals.

Imagine waking up more often from truly refreshing sleep. The founder and CEO of Gravity Blanket, Mike Grillo, struggled immensely with sleep, which launched him into a personal exploration of solutions to get better rest. In 2016 the Gravity Blanket was developed. The Gravity Blanket uses the power of "deep touch pressure stimulation" to simulate the feeling of being held. This increases serotonin and melatonin, the hormones responsible for relaxation, and decreases cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress which leads to a deeper, healing sleep. Read on for a Q&A with Mike Grillo.

We experience a stress response when we feel a threat, whether the threat is real or perceived. Teaching our bodies to respond appropriately to stressors is key in maintaining wellness. Dr. David Rabin joins us to discuss forward-thinking approaches to train the mind to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system and relieve chronic stress.