---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you choose to connect with others…"
description: "\"When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience,\" — Kelly McGonigal"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg"
---

#  When you choose to connect with others under stress, you…

![“When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience,” quote by Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg)

> “When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience,”

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Connecting with others during stress builds collective resilience

**In simple terms:** Social connection under pressure creates strength

Key Takeaway

Foster supportive relationships in tough times

Themes

resilience social support stress management

Mood

hopeful empathetic

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- workplace crises
- personal emergencies
- team projects

Key Concepts

psychology neuroscience community building

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you initiate connection when stressed?
- What practices sustain resilience?

A Different Perspective

Isolation can still occur despite efforts

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Resilience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Under stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/under-stress/) [You choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you-choose/)

## Related quotes

> [I seriously over think everything, which makes me stress myself out and create problems that weren't even there in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-seriously-over-think-everything-which-makes-me-stress-myself-out/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [I don't worry about stress. I create it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mattis/i-don-t-worry-about-stress-i-create-it/)

[Jim Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mattis/)

> [“Creating a plan of action is what helps me reduce stress. List the top reasons your business stresses you out. Then find a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liesha-petrovich/creating-a-plan-of-action-is-what-helps-me-reduce-stress-list-the-top/)

[Liesha Petrovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liesha-petrovich/)

> [Male love circuits get an extra kick when stress levels are high. After an intense physical challenge, for instance, males will bond quickly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louann-brizendine/male-love-circuits-get-an-extra-kick-when-stress-levels-are-high/)

[Louann Brizendine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louann-brizendine/)

> [Al Qaeda is not the organization now that it was before. It is under stress organizationally. Its leadership spends more time trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cofer-black/al-qaeda-is-not-the-organization-now-that-it-was-before-it-is-under/)

[Cofer Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cofer-black/)

> [Power abdicates only under the stress of counter-power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/power-abdicates-only-under-the-stress-of-counter-power/)

[Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/)

> [To me the early childhood story is an ecumenical one. You take poverty seriously. You take seriously maternal depression. You take seriously children under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-manne/to-me-the-early-childhood-story-is-an-ecumenical-one-you-take-poverty/)

Robert Manne

> [Men under stress are fools, and fool themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/men-under-stress-are-fools-and-fool-themselves/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [The capacity of man himself is only revealed when, under stress and responsibility, he breaks through his educational shell, and he may then be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cushing/the-capacity-of-man-himself-is-only-revealed-when-under-stress-and/)

[Harvey Cushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cushing/)

> [Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne/don-t-underestimate-the-value-of-doing-nothing/)

[A. A. Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne/)

> [But it turns out that people who are grounded and secure don't change much under stress. That's what being grounded means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gruber/but-it-turns-out-that-people-who-are-grounded-and-secure-don-t-change/)

[Michael Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gruber/)

> [Sometimes, counter-intuitively, it's easier to make a major change than a minor change. When a habit is changing very gradually, we may lose interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/sometimes-counter-intuitively-it-s-easier-to-make-a-major-change-than/)

[Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/)

> [The military profession, especially is the long-established great powers, is deeply pessimistic about the likelihood that people and countries will behave well under stress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwynne-dyer/the-military-profession-especially-is-the-long-established-great/)

[Gwynne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwynne-dyer/)

> [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [Spiritual leadership ought to be given to those who have proven themselves under stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/spiritual-leadership-ought-to-be-given-to-those-who-have-proven/)

[Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/)

## More by Kelly McGonigal

> [“Although dieting is a long standing American pastime, as a method of losing weight it stinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/although-dieting-is-a-long-standing-american-pastime-as-a-method-of/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“you’re going to abandon in a week, and there’s no scientific consensus about how much exercise you need to do. A 2010 analysis”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/you-re-going-to-abandon-in-a-week-and-there-s-no-scientific-consensus/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [Chasing meaning is better for your health than trying to avoid discomfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/chasing-meaning-is-better-for-your-health-than-trying-to-avoid/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/go-after-what-it-is-that-creates-meaning-in-your-life-and-then-trust/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Ask your brain to do math every day, and it gets better at math. Ask your brain to worry, and it gets better at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/ask-your-brain-to-do-math-every-day-and-it-gets-better-at-math-ask/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [The is a secret for greater self-control, the science points to one thing: the power of paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/the-is-a-secret-for-greater-self-control-the-science-points-to-one/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [For most of us, the classic test of willpower is resisting temptation, whether the temptress is a doughnut, a cigarette, a clearance sale, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/for-most-of-us-the-classic-test-of-willpower-is-resisting-temptation/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Stress and meaning are inextricably linked. You don’t stress out about things you don’t care about, and you can’t create a meaningful life without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/stress-and-meaning-are-inextricably-linked-you-don-t-stress-out-about/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Meditation is not about getting rid of all your thoughts; it’s learning not to get so lost in them that you forget what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/meditation-is-not-about-getting-rid-of-all-your-thoughts-it-s/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [The development of willpower -I will, I won't and I want- may define what it means to be human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/the-development-of-willpower-i-will-i-won-t-and-i-want-may-define/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [When your mind is preoccupied, your impulses—not your long-term goals—will guide your choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/when-your-mind-is-preoccupied-your-impulses-not-your-long-term-goals/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Though our survival system doesn’t always work to our advantage, it is a mistake to think we should conquer the primitive self completely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/though-our-survival-system-doesn-t-always-work-to-our-advantage-it-is/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“is easiest. Consider a smoker who wants to quit. She needs to recognize the first sign of a craving, and where it’s likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/is-easiest-consider-a-smoker-who-wants-to-quit-she-needs-to-recognize/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Research shows that people who think they have the most willpower are actually the most likely to lose control when tempted.1 For example, smokers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/research-shows-that-people-who-think-they-have-the-most-willpower-are/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Case in point: Warnings on cigarette packages can increase a smoker’s urge to light up. A 2009 study found that death warnings trigger stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/case-in-point-warnings-on-cigarette-packages-can-increase-a-smoker-s/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

[Explore all 30 Kelly McGonigal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

## More Resilience quotes

> [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/)

[Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/)

> [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/)

[Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/)

> [“Desert are you, deluge are you, in a crowd of fakes, only truth is you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/desert-are-you-deluge-are-you-in-a-crowd-of-fakes-only-truth-is-you/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [The cognitive skills that underpin resilience, then, seem like they can indeed be learned over time, creating resilience where there was none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/the-cognitive-skills-that-underpin-resilience-then-seem-like-they-can/)

[Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/)

> [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/sometimes-resilience-arrives-in-the-moment-you-discover-your-own/)

[Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/)

> [“Mistakes are lessons and lessons are gifts. Examine them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-knox/mistakes-are-lessons-and-lessons-are-gifts-examine-them/)

Jen Knox

> [What I always liked best about myself was my resilience, especially in this business with all the 'no's,' the doors closed in my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lachanze/what-i-always-liked-best-about-myself-was-my-resilience-especially-in/)

[LaChanze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lachanze/)

> [One's own troubles can be borne with fortitude; only a monster of indifference can bear the sufferings of others with fortitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ertz/one-s-own-troubles-can-be-borne-with-fortitude-only-a-monster-of/)

[Susan Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ertz/)

> [“I really do believe stories about the struggles of life do help foster resilient and happy children. They make Tips children understand the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iben-dissing-sandahl/i-really-do-believe-stories-about-the-struggles-of-life-do-help/)

[Iben Dissing Sandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iben-dissing-sandahl/)

> [My tenacity and determination to be true to the person I had become were sacrosanct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/my-tenacity-and-determination-to-be-true-to-the-person-i-had-become/)

[Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/)

> [“Keep going even when the going is slow and uncertain. Make your dream your prayer and your service. Don’t wait for recognition. Let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-g-renee-hill/keep-going-even-when-the-going-is-slow-and-uncertain-make-your-dream/)

[G.G. Renee Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-g-renee-hill/)

> [Grit can't be measured on pop quizzes, but it can often predict long-term success more than mere intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moser/grit-can-t-be-measured-on-pop-quizzes-but-it-can-often-predict-long/)

[Laura Moser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moser/)

> [We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/we-could-encourage-the-best-qualities-of-youthfulness-curiosity/)

[John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/)

[Browse all 1,138 Resilience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience,",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kelly McGonigal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-under-stress-you-can-create/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Resilience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-under-stress-you-can-create/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/kelly-mcgonigal-20652_resilience_when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-u_2997871.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience,” — Kelly McGonigal",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kelly McGonigal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you choose to connect with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-under-stress-you-can-create/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/when-you-choose-to-connect-with-others-under-stress-you-can-create/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
