Less Stress, More Joy with Amy Leneker is the joyful rebellion you’ve been waiting for. If you’ve ever woken up on a Monday already exhausted, or spent Sunday night bracing yourself for the week ahead, the problem isn't you — the problem is work. But there’s a better way. A simpler way. Each week on the Less Stress, More Joy podcast, Amy shares the same coaching she brings to Fortune 100 companies and public sector organizations — helping you understand your stress, break old patterns, and rediscover the joy you were meant for. Less stress, more joy, and zero toxic positivity — that’s the joyful rebellion. Less Stress, More Joy is based on Amy's forthcoming book Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Strategy to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy. Editing and production is by Brandi Neal. If you've been searching for podcasts for anxiety and stress, leadership coaching for women, or job and life coaching tips, you're invited to tune in and join the joyful rebellion!
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Stress Isn’t the Price of Success (And Work Isn’t Working)
Episode 1
Monday, January 5, 2026 • Duration 27:59
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)
📚 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
Introducing 'Less Stress, More Joy with Amy Leneker'
Monday, December 29, 2025 • Duration 02:08
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 Mondayeverywhere books are sold.
How to Do The Next Right Thing
Episode 11
Monday, March 16, 2026 • Duration 16:01
The RIGHT Questions: Acting on the Next Right Thing at Work
What if the biggest thing we’ve been taught about success at work is wrong?
This week on Less Stress, More Joy, Amy Leneker challenges the belief that stress is simply the price we pay for achievement. Instead, she argues that stress is often a signal that something in the system needs to change.
Amy shares a personal leadership story she still regrets: answering a work request just 48 hours after coming home from the hospital with her newborn daughter — a moment that led her to work through most of her maternity leave.
From that experience, she developed the RIGHT Questions Framework, a simple tool leaders can use when facing stressors they care about and have the power to influence.
The RIGHT Questions help leaders pause and act with intention by asking:
How can I Reframe this stressor from a threat to a challenge?
What is my role in this moment?
How can I ground my decision in my values?
How do I hold myself accountable?
What is the next aligned action?
Amy also explores how our decisions ripple outward — shaping team trust, workplace culture, and the signals we send about what leadership actually requires.
This episode is for leaders, parents, and professionals who want to break the cycle of chronic workplace stress and lead differently.
Why Gen Z Is So Stressed at Work (And What Leaders Are Missing)
Episode 10
Monday, March 9, 2026 • Duration 25:18
Why are younger generations experiencing more stress at work than everyone else?
On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, leadership coach Amy Leneker shares new insights from her national study on stress and joy at work — including why Generation Z is experiencing significantly more workplace stress than older generations.
Amy explains the five types of work stress that affect employees, why sudden stress and schedule stress are hitting Gen Z the hardest, and what leaders can do to create healthier workplaces across generations.
If you lead a team, work with younger employees, or simply want to understand how stress impacts today’s workforce, this episode offers practical ideas for creating workplaces with less stress, more joy, and zero toxic positivity.
On this episode you'll learn:
• Why Gen Z experiences more stress at work
• The five types of workplace stress affecting teams
• Why sudden stress has the biggest negative impact
• How schedule stress and meetings increase workplace pressure
• How leaders can reduce stress and remove barriers to joy
Because joy at work isn’t a luxury — it’s what helps people do their best work.
Chapters:
00:00 Gen Z Stress Preview
00:51 Study Setup and Generations
02:24 Two Big Takeaways
05:34 Five Types of Work Stress
07:56 Fix Sudden and Schedule Stress
13:15 Talk About Impact Without Stereotypes
17:09 Barriers to Joy and Wrap Up
Pre-order: everywhere books are sold. Questions?
Why Toxic Positivity Backfires at Work (And What Actually Creates Joy)
Episode 9
Monday, March 2, 2026 • Duration 15:13
On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, Amy Leneker unpacks one of the most well-intentioned — and most damaging — leadership habits in modern workplaces: toxic positivity.
From “good vibes only” messaging to cringe-worthy icebreakers, forced joy often increases stress, reduces trust, and disconnects teams.
Drawing from her national study, The State of Stress and Joy at Work, Amy shares powerful data on what’s actually exhausting employees — and what truly creates sustainable joy.
You’ll learn:
Why forced positivity increases burnout
The connection between authenticity and trust
The top 5 barriers to joy at work
The top 5 drivers of real workplace joy
How to create connection without the cringe
Chapters:
00:00 Why Good Vibes Backfire
03:01 Icebreaker Cringe Story
05:13 Connection Without Weird
08:09 The Data on Exhaustion
10:49 Top Barriers and Drivers
13:40 Stop Toxic Positivity
Pre-order Amy’s new book:
Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Strategy to Lead & Live With Less Stress & More Joy at amyleneker.com/book
The Diplomatic Hostess: Leading High-Stakes Teams Without Burnout
Episode 8
Monday, February 23, 2026 • Duration 31:22
How do you lead high-stakes, no-fail work without burning out yourself or your team?
On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, Amy sits down with Shelley McDermott, President of FirstRule Group, to explore leadership, stress management, boundaries at work, and building a high-retention team culture.
Shelley leads complex public sector consulting projects — from retirement systems to opioid response initiatives — where the stakes are high and failure isn’t an option. Yet her team thrives.
Her secret? She calls it being a “diplomatic hostess.”
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
How to reduce burnout on high-performing teams
Why psychological safety lowers workplace stress
The leadership power of “wiggle room” in conflict
How clarity (roles & responsibilities) reduces overwhelm
Practical breathing techniques to reset in stressful moments
Why comparison fuels anxiety — and how to stop it
How servant leadership builds loyalty and retention
The importance of boundaries without sacrificing ambition
If you’re a leader, manager, public sector professional, or high achiever navigating workplace stress, this episode offers actionable tools for stress reduction, sustainable leadership, and creating a people-first culture.
Because you can build a wildly successful career without sacrificing your health, your family, or your joy.
Less stress. More joy. And maybe even… cheers to Monday. Order Amy's book 'Cheers to Monday' amyleneker.com/book
Chapters:
00:06 Meet Shelley McDermott & the “Diplomatic Hostess” Superpower
02:41 Leading High-Stakes, No-Fail Work With More Joy
3 Feedback Triggers That Derail Hard Conversations at Work
Episode 7
Monday, February 16, 2026 • Duration 09:52
On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, leadership coach Amy Leneker explores why feedback conversations so often go wrong — not because of bad intent, but because they activate deep psychological triggers tied to trust, identity, and belonging.
If you care about building high-trust teams, creating psychological safety at work, and leading with both clarity and compassion, this episode will resonate.
Amy breaks down three powerful feedback triggers outlined in the book 'Thanks for the Feedback' by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen that derail even strong leaders:
• The Truth Trigger — when someone’s story about themselves collides with the story you’re telling
• The Relationship Trigger — how trust (or lack of it) shapes how feedback is received
• The Identity Trigger — when feedback feels like a threat to who we believe we are
Drawing on research and real workplace examples, Amy shares practical tools to help leaders give honest feedback without creating shame, defensiveness, or disconnection.
You’ll learn how to:
• Lead difficult conversations with courage and emotional intelligence
• Strengthen trust before you need it
• Separate performance from identity
• Build cultures rooted in accountability and psychological safety
• Reduce workplace stress by normalizing clear, compassionate feedback
This episode is for leaders, managers, founders, and professionals who believe that trust is the foundation of performance — and that better conversations create better cultures.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Feedback Challenges
01:18 Understanding the Truth Trigger
3 Types of Effective Feedback
Episode 6
Monday, February 9, 2026 • Duration 20:49
Feedback is one of the most stress-inducing parts of work — for leaders and for employees. On this episode of the Less Stress, More Joy podcast, Amy Leneker breaks down why feedback so often goes wrong and how to do it in a way that actually builds trust, connection, and performance.
Drawing on her experience as a certified mediator and workplace conflict specialist, Amy explains the three types of feedback every workplace needs, why the feedback sandwich doesn’t work, and how mixing feedback types can overwhelm the nervous system. You’ll also learn simple, practical ways to reduce stress during feedback conversations — whether you’re the one giving feedback or receiving it.
If you want feedback conversations that are clearer, calmer, and more effective, this episode gives you tools you can use immediately.
What You’ll Learn on the Episode
Why feedback conversations are often avoided — and why that avoidance increases stress
The three types of feedback every healthy workplace needs
How appreciative feedback builds motivation (and when it backfires)
Why coaching feedback takes time — and why it’s worth the investment
How evaluative feedback works best when it’s timely and specific
Why the feedback sandwich has been debunked by research
How to avoid cognitive overload during feedback conversations
When and how to pause before moving into problem-solving
How to build feedback into regular one-on-ones so it becomes part of how you work
Why the best feedback cultures always go both directions
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Why Feedback Increases Stress at Work
00:39 Why Feedback Conversations Go Wrong
02:56 The Three Types of Feedback
03:53 Appreciative Feedback: What It Is — and Why It Matters
Resources Mentioned on the Podcast
One Simple Way to Stop Stress from Spreading at Work
Episode 5
Monday, February 2, 2026 • Duration 06:42
Stress spreads faster than we realize — and not just in person. On this short episode of the Less Stress, More Joy podcast, Amy Leneker breaks down why stress is contagious in workplaces, how it travels through emotional pathways, and what leaders and teammates can do to stop the ripple before it impacts an entire organization.
If you’ve ever walked into a meeting and felt the tension — or noticed stress spreading through emails, texts, or Slack — this episode will help you understand why that happens and how to respond differently.
Amy shares research-backed insights on emotional contagion, explains why stress itself isn’t an emotion (but still spreads), and introduces one simple, practical tool you can use today — at work or at home — to reduce stress contagion and increase calm.
On this episode, you’ll learn:
* Why stress spreads through teams like a virus
* How stress travels emotionally, even in virtual workplaces
* Why “fake calm” doesn’t work — and what does
* How leaders and peers influence stress levels in the room
* One simple way to surface and manage stress before it escalates
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & What You’ll Learn
Amy introduces the idea of stress contagion and promises one practical tool listeners can use today—at work and outside of work.
00:45 – Why Stress Feels Contagious (Even Though It’s Not an Emotion)
Amy explains why stress spreads through teams by traveling along emotional pathways tied to frustration, overwhelm, and anxiety.
From Survival Mode to Sustainable Leadership (with Dr. Lizzy Perez & Joni Goodman)
Episode 4
Monday, January 26, 2026 • Duration 30:31
In this deeply human and hopeful conversation, Amy Leneker welcomes her very first podcast guests to Less Stress, More Joy: Dr. Lizzy Perez and Joni Goodman—both leadership coaches, certified Dare to Lead facilitators, and champions of emotional intelligence and nervous system regulation.
Together, they explore the real cost of hustle culture, the hidden stress messages many leaders inherit, and why managing stress isn’t just a wellness strategy—it’s a joy strategy. From personal stress stories and nervous system tools to hobbies, play, and the courage to slow down, this episode is an invitation to lead—and live—with less stress and more joy.
Chapters:
00:00 — Meet the Guests
Dr. Lizzy Perez & Joni Goodman join Amy Leneker
04:30 — One Good Thing
Slowing down, nervous system trust & living with intention
Less stress. More joy. Zero toxic positivity. That’s the joyful rebellion.
05:08 People-First Culture
08:12 Leadership Lessons
12:58 Team Stressors
19:03 Service as Success + Practical Stress Tips
Shelley McDermott is the President of FirstRule Group — a small, woman-owned business consulting firm headquartered in Olympia, Washington. Everyone at FirstRule has a superpower and Shelley is known as the Diplomatic Hostess — a nod to her leadership style and her love of cooking. Shelley and her business partner Stacy Steck started the firm in 2019 because they wanted to create a different kind of company where they could "hire great people and then love and care for them" knowing that if the consultants felt supported, they would provide great service for clients. You can read more about FirstRule Group at firstrulegroup.com. Shelley and Stacy would love to connect, you can reach them at ShelleyMcDermott@firstrulegroup.com or StacySteck@firstrulegroup.com. Shelley lives in Olympia with her husband, eats at local restaurants, and deeply values being of service.
03:46 Navigating Relationship Triggers
07:13 Managing Identity Triggers
🔔 Subscribe for weekly leadership tools to reduce burnout, lower workplace stress, and build healthier teams.
If this episode was helpful, please follow the podcast, share this episode with a colleague or friend, or leave a quick review — it’s the best way to help others find the Less Stress, More Joy podcast.
Have thoughts or questions? Reach out at amy@amyleneker.com.
01:55 – Anxiety as “The Emotion of Community”
How stress and anxiety ripple through workplaces, teams, and organizations—and why humans instinctively pick up on each other’s stress.
03:05 – Stress Spreads Digitally, Too
Why stress doesn’t just spread in offices, but also through emails, texts, emojis, and virtual communication.
04:05 – The Stress Ripple Effect at Work
How unmanaged stress moves through teams like a virus—and why awareness is the first step to stopping it.
05:05 – Calm Is the Antidote (and It Has to Be Real)
What research shows about leaders who demonstrate genuine calm, and how it reduces stress and increases engagement.
06:05 – One Tool to Stop Stress Contagion: The Stress Ruler
How to use a simple 0–10 check-in to surface stress early and prevent it from spreading.
06:35 – Wrap-Up, Book Mention & Call to Action
Amy closes with encouragement, invites listeners to follow and share the show, and mentions Cheers to Monday.
📚 Resources & Next Steps
Explore the Stress Ruler in a previous episode of Less Stress, More Joy
Learn more in Amy’s upcoming book, Cheers to Monday (available March 24)
💬 Stay Connected
* If this episode resonated with you:
* Follow the podcast
* Share it with a colleague or friend
* Leave a quick review — it’s the best way to help others find the show
Why stress is a full-body experience, not just a mindset issue
How inherited messages about hard work and productivity fuel burnout
The surprising link between vulnerability and joy
What nervous system regulation really looks like in everyday life
Simple, science-backed tools to reduce cortisol and reset your stress response
Why play accelerates habit change and builds joy faster
The powerful question that changed Amy’s life:
“What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?”
How joy can exist alongside ambition, leadership, and meaningful work
🧠 Memorable Moments & Insights
Dr. Lizzy Perez shares how slowing down helped her trust her nervous system—and why talking out loud about your feelings can reduce cortisol.
Joni Goodman opens up about anxiety, people-pleasing, and the cost of being “the one who always gets it done.”
Amy reflects on the legacy of hustle culture and the invisible timelines we place on ourselves.
The group discusses why many adults struggle to name joyful moments—and how vulnerability is required to experience joy.
A powerful reframing: Managing stress isn’t just about survival—it’s about creating space for joy.
🛠️ Practical Stress-to-Joy Strategies Shared
The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise (using the five senses)
Speaking your emotions out loud to activate the internal unloading effect
Play as a shortcut to habit formation and joy
Cold exposure for nervous system regulation
Walking without electronics to avoid doom-scrolling
Intentional pauses and breaks during facilitation and workdays
Zumba, gardening, dancing, writing, thrifting, photography, travel, and more
💬 Call to Action
If you’ve ever answered “I don’t know” to the question “What do you do for fun?” let this episode be your invitation to rediscover joy, play, and rest—without guilt.
👥 About the Guests
Dr. Lizzy Perez
Leadership coach, facilitator, and researcher with a PhD in Leadership Studies.
Her work sits at the intersection of emotional intelligence, courage, perfectionism, and nervous system regulation.
Website: lizzy-perez.com
Instagram: @lizzyperezllc
LinkedIn: Lizzy Perez (Elizabeth “Lizzy” Perez)
Facebook: Lizzy Perez
Joni Goodman
Chief Breakthrough Officer of JDG Advisors, certified Dare to Lead facilitator, leadership catalyst, and author of Rappel.
Specializes in women’s leadership, emotional intelligence, and transformative facilitation.
Website: jdgadvisors.com
Book: Rappel (Available on Amazon and via her website)
Reach out with thoughts or feedback—you just might hear them on the show.
Less Stress. More Joy. Zero Toxic Positivity.
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