We all know people who freak out in even the most trivial situations.  And we’re in awe of those who tackle great challenges without breaking a sweat. UT-Dallas psychology professor Ian Robertson joins us to talk about the mental and physical benefits of embracing tension. He writes about the idea in “The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper” (Bloomsbury USA).

Ian Robertson on …

… why stress can make you stronger: 

“If you take someone that grew up, let’s say as a teenager, in the 1930s before the Second World War, they experienced hardship, they experienced uncertainty, they experienced the depression. A student filling in a depression questionnaire in 1938 would score an average, on a standard questionnaire, 40 out of 100. That same student in 2008 would score an average 60. Why is that? Part of it is adversity. Tough times toughen us.”