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