Reframing Stress: Turn Nerves Into Energy

Level: B2

Printable: Student handout (PDF | Word) | Teacher’s key (PDF | Word)

Before You Read

Think about these questions or discuss them with a partner.

Think of the last time you felt very nervous before something important. What happened in your body?
What do you usually do or say to yourself to feel less nervous? Does it work?
How might people feel about stress differently depending on their age, job, or culture?

Reading

Your name is called. Your heart starts pounding, your palms feel damp, and your stomach tightens. It could be a job interview, an exam, or a speech in front of the class. Most of us respond in the same way: we tell ourselves to calm down. It rarely works. A growing number of researchers and speakers suggest something that sounds strange at first. Instead of fighting the feeling, reframe it. Tell yourself that you are excited.

To see why this might help, look at what the body is doing. When we face a challenge, the brain switches on the stress response. The heart beats faster, breathing speeds up, and a surge of energy reaches the muscles and the brain. This system evolved for short, intense moments, such as escaping a predator. Yet very similar signals appear before a first date or a cup final, when we are looking forward to something. The body does not attach a label to them. Whether we interpret a racing heart as fear or as excitement depends partly on us.

This idea is at the center of the message of Rebecca Heiss, an American stress physiologist and the author of a 2025 book called Springboard. Heiss argues that trying to eliminate stress is unrealistic. She describes stress as energy, and her advice is to channel that energy toward the task instead of away from it. Her first step is a simple question: is it a tiger? In other words, will this thing actually harm you in the next few minutes? A full inbox or a difficult meeting is not a hungry animal, even if your body reacts as if it were. Next, she suggests turning fear into curiosity by asking what you might learn or enjoy. Finally, take one small step toward the problem.

Laboratory studies give some support to the idea. In a set of experiments at Harvard Business School, people were asked to sing karaoke, give a speech, or solve difficult math problems. Before starting, some said or read “I am excited,” while others said “I am calm.” The excited group sang more accurately, gave speeches that judges rated as more persuasive and confident, and scored higher on the math test. The researcher’s explanation is that anxiety and excitement are both high-energy states, so moving from one to the other is easier than trying to calm down completely.

Other studies point in the same direction. In one US study, students preparing for a graduate admissions test were told that a racing heart and a nervous stomach can actually improve performance. They did better on a practice test and, one to three months later, on the math section of the real exam. In related experiments, people who saw their stress as helpful showed a healthier pattern: their hearts pumped more efficiently and their blood vessels stayed more relaxed. In 2022, a 30-minute online lesson taught high school and university students a stress-can-help mindset, together with the belief that abilities can grow. It lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol and led to a boost in academic results.

Still, reframing is not magic, and it is easy to overstate what it can do. When researchers repeated the Harvard speech experiment in 2025, saying “I am excited” made people feel more excited, but judges did not rate their speeches any better. Heiss and other speakers also often mention a large US study in which highly stressed people who believed stress was harming their health were more likely to die early. That study found a link, not proof that the belief itself caused the deaths. Most importantly, these techniques are meant for short, manageable challenges. They are not a cure for chronic stress, burnout, or an anxiety disorder, which may call for rest, real changes at work or school, or professional help.

So what can you try before your next big moment? First, acknowledge the feeling instead of hiding it: my heart is racing because my body is getting ready. Second, say out loud, “I’m excited.” Third, ask Heiss’s question: is this really a tiger? Then take one small step, such as reading your first line or answering the easiest question. Afterward, notice what happened in the first five minutes, and decide for yourself whether the words made a difference.

Vocabulary

Each word has a frequency score, a rank, and a tag. The score shows how common the word is in modern English: higher means more common, and each full point means roughly ten times more common. The rank is the word’s position on a list of about 321,000 English word forms, from most to least common. The tag shows where you are most likely to meet the word: Current, Formal, Literary, or Dated. The paragraph number shows where the word first appears in the reading. The labels are information, not instructions. Deciding which words are worth your time is up to you. How to read the scores, ranks, and tags.

Before the interview, her heart was pounding.
Rain was pounding on the roof all night.

Instead of fighting your nerves, try to reframe them as excitement.
She reframed the failure as a chance to learn.

Stress sends a surge of energy to the muscles.
There was a surge in ticket sales after the band announced its tour.

We can interpret a racing heart as fear or as excitement.
I interpreted his silence as a yes.

Heiss says it is unrealistic to eliminate stress.
The new design eliminates the need for batteries.

Heiss advises people to channel stress toward the task.
He channeled his anger into training for the next race.

Heiss suggests turning fear into curiosity.
Children are full of curiosity about the world.

Judges rated the excited speakers as more persuasive.
She wrote a persuasive letter asking for a refund.

When people saw stress as helpful, their hearts pumped more efficiently.
The new system lets us answer emails more efficiently.

A short lesson taught students a stress-can-help mindset.
Athletes need a positive mindset before a big game.

The lesson led to a boost in academic results.
A good night of sleep gives your mood a boost.

It is easy to overstate what reframing can do.
The advertisement overstated how long the battery lasts.

Reframing is not a cure for chronic stress.
He has had chronic back pain for years.

Burnout may need rest and real changes, not just a new way of thinking.
After three years of seventy-hour weeks, she was close to burnout.

First, acknowledge the feeling instead of hiding it.
He finally acknowledged that he had made a mistake.

Word Partners

Collocations. Match the two halves to make common phrases. Then use three of the phrases in sentences of your own.

1. a pounding	a. a dream
2. a sudden surge	b. the risk completely
3. interpret	c. curiosity
4. eliminate	d. into something useful
5. channel your anger	e. argument
6. out of	f. mindset
7. a persuasive	g. of electricity
8. a growth	h. headache

Answers

a pounding headache (h)
a sudden surge of electricity (g)
interpret a dream (a)
eliminate the risk completely (b)
channel your anger into something useful (d)
out of curiosity (c)
a persuasive argument (e)
a growth mindset (f)

Word families. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in brackets.

She tried to __________ her parents to let her travel alone. (persuasive)
The new machine is much more __________ than the old one. (efficiently)
The __________ of plastic bags from shops has reduced waste. (eliminate)
There are many possible __________ of the poem. (interpret)
He is a __________ person who asks questions about everything. (curiosity)
The report was an __________ of how serious the problem is. (overstate)

Answers

persuade
efficient
elimination
interpretations
curious
overstatement

Activity Page

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Speed Challenge

Answer 12 questions against the clock. Every wrong answer adds 5 seconds, and the lowest score wins. Open the speed challenge in a new tab.

Quick Reading and Typing: Reframing Stress in Brief

A shorter version of the reading that uses the lesson vocabulary. Read it for a quick introduction to the topic, or use it for reading aloud, shadowing (reading along with a model), and typing practice.

Before an interview or an exam, your heart starts pounding. Most people tell themselves to calm down, but it rarely works. Some researchers suggest a different idea. They say we should reframe the feeling and tell ourselves we are excited.

When we face a challenge, the stress response sends a surge of energy to the muscles and the brain. Very similar signals appear when we look forward to something. Whether we interpret a racing heart as fear or as excitement depends partly on us.

Rebecca Heiss, an American stress physiologist, wrote a 2025 book called Springboard. She argues that trying to eliminate stress is unrealistic. She describes stress as energy and advises people to channel it toward the task. Her first step is a question: is it a tiger? In other words, will this harm you in the next few minutes? Next, she suggests turning fear into curiosity. Finally, take one small step toward the problem.

Some studies support the idea. At Harvard, people sang, gave speeches, or did math problems. Those who first said “I am excited” did better than those who said “I am calm.” Judges rated their speeches as more persuasive. In another study, students who were told a racing heart helps did better on tests. Their hearts also pumped more efficiently. A 30-minute online lesson for high school and university students taught a stress-can-help mindset. It lowered the stress hormone cortisol and led to a boost in academic results.

Still, it is easy to overstate what reframing can do. When researchers repeated the speech experiment in 2025, people felt more excited, but their speeches were not rated any better. These ideas are for short challenges, not chronic stress, burnout, or anxiety disorders, which may need rest or professional help. Next time you feel nervous before a big moment, acknowledge the feeling, say “I’m excited,” and take one small step.

How to practice

Read the text silently once and check any words you are unsure of.
Read it aloud slowly, one sentence at a time. On the typing page, the Listen button reads each line with your device’s voice, so you can listen first and then repeat.
Shadow: read aloud again at a natural speed, trying to keep a steady rhythm without stopping.
Record yourself, listen back, and note one sentence to practice again.
Type it on the typing page below and check your speed and accuracy.

Open the typing practice in a new tab

Comprehension Questions

What do most people tell themselves before a stressful moment, and how well does it work?
What happens in the body during the stress response?
Why can the same racing heart feel like fear or like excitement?
How does Rebecca Heiss describe stress, and what does she advise people to do with it?
What does the question “Is it a tiger?” help people check?
What did people say before the tasks in the Harvard experiments, and what were the results?
What did the short online lesson teach, and what did it lead to?
What did researchers find when they repeated the speech experiment in 2025?
For which problems is reframing not enough, according to the reading? What might help instead?

IELTS-Style Questions

True, False, or Not Given: “Heiss has written more than one book about stress.” Explain your answer using the reading.
Yes, No, or Not Given: “The writer believes that reframing can replace professional help for anxiety disorders.” Explain your answer using the reading.
Author’s purpose: Why does the writer mention the 2025 repeat of the speech experiment? Is it (a) to prove that reframing never works, (b) to show that the evidence for reframing has limits, or (c) to explain how to give a better speech?

AI Discussion Prompt

I just read an article about reframing stress. It explained that the stress response sends a surge of energy through the body, and that the same signals can feel like fear or excitement. It described the advice of stress physiologist Rebecca Heiss (ask “Is it a tiger?”, turn fear into curiosity, and take one small step), Harvard experiments in which saying “I am excited” improved singing, speeches, and math, and other studies on test performance and a short online mindset lesson. It also noted limits: a 2025 repeat of the speech study did not find better speeches, and reframing is not a cure for chronic stress or burnout. I am an English learner at about B2 level. Please ask me one question at a time, starting with a time I felt nervous before something important. Respond to my ideas first, then briefly correct any language errors, and ask follow-up questions that make me give reasons and examples.

AI Vocabulary Prompt

I want to practice vocabulary from an article about reframing stress. Please quiz me on the following words one at a time, using a mix of question types: multiple choice, true/false, and sentence completion. Give me feedback after each answer before moving on, and bring back the words I miss later. Here are the words: pounding, reframe, surge, interpret, eliminate, channel, curiosity, persuasive, efficiently, mindset, boost, overstate, chronic, burnout, acknowledge.

Discussion Questions

What situations make you most nervous: exams, interviews, speaking in public, or something else?
Have you ever noticed that nerves helped you perform better? What happened?
Would you feel comfortable saying “I’m excited” out loud before an exam or a speech? Why or why not?
Think of something that stresses you this week. Is it a tiger? How would Heiss’s question change how you see it?
How do athletes or performers you admire seem to deal with pressure?
Which do you find harder to manage: short moments of stress or stress that lasts for weeks? Why?
Do you agree with Heiss that trying to eliminate stress is unrealistic? Give an example.
Why do you think the 2025 repeat of the speech study did not find better speeches?
Is it possible that telling people to see stress as positive could make some of them feel worse? How?
Should schools teach students how to reframe stress, as the online lesson did? What might be the benefits and the risks?
Who is responsible for reducing stress at work or school: individuals or the organization? Explain.
Popular speakers often present research in a simple way. Why might this be useful, and why might it be a problem?
How do you know when stress has become burnout, and what should a person do then?
Do you think attitudes to stress differ between generations or cultures? Give examples you have noticed.

Language Focus: Verb + Object + As: How We See Things

What it is: Many verbs about thinking and describing follow the pattern verb + object + as + noun or adjective: see, view, describe, interpret, treat, regard, rate, and reframe. The word after as says what we think the object is or is like.

Why writers use it: This pattern is useful for talking about opinions and interpretations, which is exactly what reframing is: choosing what something counts as.

Examples from the reading:

“Whether we interpret a racing heart as fear or as excitement depends partly on us.”
“She describes stress as energy…”
“…gave speeches that judges rated as more persuasive and confident…”
“…people who saw their stress as helpful showed a healthier pattern…”

Part A. Sentence starters Finish each sentence so that it is true for you. Use as + a noun or adjective.

Before an exam, I usually see my nerves as …
Most of my friends would describe me as …
I used to view homework as …
In my family, people tend to treat mistakes as …
If I am honest, I would rate my public speaking skills as …

Model answers

Before an exam, I usually see my nerves as a bad sign.
Most of my friends would describe me as calm and funny.
I used to view homework as a waste of time, but now I see it as practice.
In my family, people tend to treat mistakes as normal.
If I am honest, I would rate my public speaking skills as average.

Part B. Questions Answer each question in a full sentence. Try to use verb + object + as. Then ask a partner.

How do you see social media: mostly as a help or as a problem?
How would you describe your hometown to a visitor?
Which job do you regard as the most stressful?
How do you interpret it when a friend does not reply to a message for a day?
Do you see a deadline as a threat or as a challenge?

Model answers

I see social media mostly as a help, because it keeps me in touch with friends.
I would describe my hometown as small but friendly.
I regard nursing as the most stressful job.
I usually interpret it as a sign that they are busy.
I see a deadline as a challenge, because it helps me focus.

Online Resources

Getting excited helps with performance anxiety more than trying to calm down, study finds (American Psychological Association). A short report on the Harvard karaoke, speech, and math experiments in paragraph 4.
Having Heart: Can We Rethink Life’s Stresses? (Association for Psychological Science). How telling students that a racing heart helps them changed their test scores and their heart response.
Online tool helps protect adolescents from stress, NIH-funded study suggests (US National Institutes of Health). The 30-minute online mindset lesson in paragraph 5 and what it changed for students.
Transforming Stress Into Your Superpower with Dr. Rebecca Heiss (Awesome at Your Job podcast). Rebecca Heiss explains her “Is it a tiger?” question and her other stress techniques in her own words.
Get Excited: Why Saying “I Am Excited” Beats “Calm Down” Before a Speech, and What the Replication Found (Exprea). A plain summary of the Harvard study and the 2025 repeat that did not find better speeches.