Stress doesn’t stay neatly at work or at home—and neither do we. On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, Amy introduces The Stress Ruler, a simple, powerful tool you can use anywhere in your life: before a tough meeting, during a one-on-one, or even at the dinner table.

The Stress Ruler asks just one question:

How challenging has your stress been on a scale of 0–10?

And what makes it effective is what it doesn’t include:

• No definition of what “challenging” means—you decide
• No separation between work stress and life stress
• No time frame that masks what really matters

Amy shares real-world stories from leadership teams where stress scores revealed hidden disconnects, unspoken assumptions, and opportunities for trust, delegation, and better conversations. She also explains how leaders can use this tool without becoming therapists—and why simplicity matters more than ever in today’s workplace.

On this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why stress shows up before we do
• How the Stress Ruler creates safer, more honest conversations
• How to use it on your own, with your team, or in one-on-ones
• What to listen for when stress numbers don’t match perception
• How curiosity—not fixing—is the real leadership skill

🎯 Download the Stress Ruler and try it this week.

If this episode sparked a question, email Amy at amy@amyleneker.com.

And if you found it helpful, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—it helps others find their way to less stress and more joy.

📘 Pre-order Amy’s new book, Cheers to Monday, wherever books are sold.

Our mission: Less stress. More joy. Zero toxic positivity.

That’s the joyful rebellion—and you’re part of it.

Chapters:

00:00 – Workplace Stress & Life Stress Are Connected

How stress at work affects stress at home (and vice versa)

00:33 – A Stress Management Tool for Work and Life

One simple framework you can use anywhere

00:54 – What Is the Stress Ruler?

A simple stress assessment tool for leaders and teams

01:29 – How to Measure Stress Without Judgment

Why “challenging” works better than “bothersome”

01:58 – Why You Shouldn’t Separate Work Stress and Life Stress

Understanding whole-person stress

02:21 – Why Most Stress Check-Ins Don’t Work

How time-based stress questions miss the real issue

03:00 – Leadership Mistakes That Increase Team Stress

A mediator’s perspective on missed signals

03:45 – How Leaders Should Use Stress Scores

A better way to talk about stress at work

04:08 – How to Check Your Stress Before Hard Conversations

Emotional awareness and self-regulation at work

04:56 – How Teams Can Track Stress Over Time

Using stress levels to prevent burnout

05:20 – Using Stress in One-on-One Meetings

Supporting employees without becoming their therapist

06:00 – When Leaders Underestimate Their Stress Impact

How leader stress affects team performance

06:55 – When Leaders Hide Stress From Their Team

Why over-functioning creates mistrust

08:21 – Why Talking About Stress Is Easier With Numbers

Psychological safety and stress conversations

08:43 – How to Spot Burnout Warning Signs

Recognizing stress spikes and outliers

09:02 – Teaching Kids Emotional Awareness With Stress Tools

Using the Stress Ruler at home

09:29 – Stress, Leadership, and the Joyful Rebellion

Less stress. More joy. Zero toxic positivity.

If you’ve ever woken up on a Monday already exhausted, this episode is for you. In the premiere of Less Stress, More Joy with Amy Leneker, Amy introduces the “joyful rebellion” against burnout and toxic positivity. She unpacks why stress is at an all-time high, why so many teams are stuck in chronic stress, and why the most dangerous belief in modern work culture is that stress is the price of success.

Amy breaks stress down into clear, usable categories (eustress vs. distress; acute vs. chronic), explains how chronic stress impacts health, thinking, and decision-making, and shares what she sees in thousands of high-stakes workplace conversations as a certified mediator.

This episode also calls out a common leadership trap—toxic positivity—and offers a more honest, effective alternative: holding reality and hope at the same time (the Stockdale Paradox). Finally, Amy closes with simple, practical steps you can take immediately to reduce stress and build more connection at work and at home.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “work isn’t working” and why stress can’t be ignored
• The difference between eustress (helpful) and distress (harmful)
• Acute stress vs. chronic stress—and why chronic stress is the real threat
• The four organizational impacts of chronic stress (from the U.S. Department of Labor)
• Why toxic positivity increases stress (and erodes trust)
• How stress spreads through teams via emotional contagion
• Why connection is a powerful antidote to stress
• Three practical actions you can take today

Action Steps (Try This Today)

1. Start a shared conversation about the four types of stress
2. Commit to leading without toxic positivity
3. Pay attention to connection—where you feel seen, heard, and valued

📩 Send Amy your questions (or a voice memo/video): amy@amyleneker.com

📚 Pre-order Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Strategy to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy (wherever books are sold), or here: amyleneker.com/book

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Less Stress, More Joy

00:52 Work Isn’t Working: Why We Have to Talk About Stress

03:21 Eustress vs. Distress: Not All Stress Is the Same

04:31 Acute Stress: The Kind We’re Wired For

05:09 Chronic Stress: When Fight-or-Flight Never Turns Off

07:40 What Chronic Stress Feels Like in the Body

08:00 The Workplace Cost of Chronic Stress

11:20 Naming It: What Are We Going to Do About Stress?

12:49 What We’re NOT Doing: Toxic Positivity

13:35 The Stockdale Paradox: Reality + Hope

15:55 Why Toxic Positivity Spreads Stress

16:49 Emotional Contagion: How Stress Spreads Through Teams

18:41 Authenticity Builds Trust

20:00 Choose Your Awkward: Have the Conversation

22:00 Connection Is the Antidote

23:55 Three Things You Can Do Today

26:00 When Work Stress Follows You Home

27:00 Follow, Share, Review + Pre-Order + Send Questions

Hi friend — I’m Amy Leneker, and welcome to the Less Stress, More Joy podcast. I created this podcast because I made every burnout mistake in the book… truly, all of them. If I can help even one person avoid the absolute hell I went through, this show will be a wild success.

Here’s what I know: you were meant for a joy-filled life. We spend a third of our lives at work, and you deserve to lead — and live — with less stress and more joy. In this podcast, I’ll teach you the simple three-step method that changed everything for me. We’ll talk about how to see stress differently, how to sort it so you know what to do with it, and how to solve it in a way that actually frees your time, your energy, and your life.

If you’ve ever woken up on a Monday already exhausted, you’re in the right place. Tune in every Monday, and let’s break the cycle together. You can also pre-order my book Cheers to Monday everywhere books are sold.