How to Stress Well: Build Resilience and Mental Toughness Under Pressure
Luke Fenwick is a Melbourne-based life coach, leadership coach and ultra-endurance athlete. He helps men and women master mindset, habits and discipline to build lives they’re proud of. Connect on LinkedIn.
Life lessons from James Bond, neuroscience, and ultramarathon coaching
What if I told you that stress isn’t your enemy — it’s your ally, if you know how to use it?
Most people think of stress as the villain. It’s what keeps you up at night, makes you snap at your partner, or derails your progress. But here’s the truth: stress is part of being human. It’s a signal — a biological response built into us over millions of years of evolution.
Stress is your body’s way of saying, “Hey, something’s happening here. Pay attention.”
In fact, it’s the very thing that kept our ancestors alive. Stress helped them avoid danger, problem-solve under pressure, and act fast when the stakes were high. The real issue today isn’t the stress itself — it’s how we interpret it and what we do with it.
The James Bond stress test
This all hit me the other night while watching Casino Royale. That scene where Bond is poisoned mid-mission? His heart races, his vision blurs, he’s moments from death — and yet, he regains composure. He breathes. He follows the steps. He saves himself.
It got me thinking: how do you stress well?
Because here’s the truth: stress isn’t going away. But when used well, it can actually make you sharper, stronger, and more resilient.
Same stress, different result
Let’s imagine two different scenes — same Bond, same mission.
Scene 1: Bond under pressure, stressing badly.
He hasn’t slept. The weight of the mission and past failures start to spiral in his head. He snaps at his team. His judgement is clouded. He acts from emotion, not clarity.
The result? He drops the ball.
Scene 2: Bond under pressure, but this time... he stresses well.
He notices his tension. He breathes.
He reminds himself: “This means it matters. I’ve done hard things before.”
He breaks the task into smaller steps. He leans on support. He leads with clarity and focus.
The result? The mission succeeds.
Same stress. Different response. That’s the game-changer.
Stress itself isn’t the problem — your response is.
How to stress well: the mindset shift
This is the core of what I teach as a mindset coach and leadership coach. You don’t need to eliminate pressure — you need to learn how to manage it, harness it, and move through it.
It’s not about motivation. It’s about discipline, self-awareness, and purposeful action, even when the world feels heavy.
Here’s how to stress well:
🔄 Recognise stress as a signal, not a stop sign
Stress says: This matters. It’s a sign to slow down and focus, not to panic.
🧘 Pause. Breathe. Reframe.
Ask:
→ What’s the real challenge here?
→ What can I control in this moment?
🎯 Break it down into purposeful action
Big pressure? Break it into small wins. Focus on one step at a time.
Whether I’m in the boardroom, on the ultramarathon trail, or supporting a client through a breakthrough… this is the mindset I return to every time.
And yes, even in the chaos of parenting — where stress shows up unannounced and messy — this mindset helps.
Stress well, and you grow.
Stress poorly, and you break.
The ultramarathon mindset in action
In life — as in running — there’s no escaping discomfort. But you can train your mind to handle it better. You can build mental toughness, emotional clarity, and systems that help you thrive under pressure.
If you’re ready to take that step, you don’t have to do it alone.
Book your free 30-minute exploratory call
Together, we’ll uncover what’s holding you back and build a tailored strategy to help you stress well, act with purpose, and create lasting results in your life and leadership.
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