The study, from the University of Buffalo, tracked 1,000 Americans, ages 34 to 93, for five years. The researchers asked them to report their stress levels and how often they helped friends, neighbors, and people in their community. The researchers tracked public records to see who died.
"When you choose to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage. And when you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience," McGonigal said.
Click here to watch the full TED Talk.