Comparison doesn’t just “steal joy”—it actively increases stress and keeps you stuck. On this episode, Amy shares a personal story of rejection (including her latest pitch to Harvard Business Review) and the simple, practical method she’s using to move through comparison and rejection without spiraling.

If you’ve ever felt behind, not good enough, or stuck measuring yourself against others—this episode gives you a way out.

Chapters

00:00 Comparison Steals Joy

00:44 Harvard Rejection Story

03:56 Step One Self Compassion

07:23 Step Two Celebrate Others

12:53 Try It and Wrap Up

What You’ll Learn

• Why comparison and rejection feel so painful (and so human)
• The difference between eustress (helpful) and distress (harmful)
• A 2-step method to move through rejection quickly and authentically
• How self-compassion changes your experience of stress
• Why celebrating others only works after you support yourself first

Key Takeaways

• You can’t feel true joy while actively comparing yourself to others
• Avoiding rejection also means avoiding opportunity
• Growth lives in the uncomfortable “not knowing” space
• Self-compassion isn’t soft—it’s a performance strategy
• You’re not behind—you’re in the process

Links & Resources

• Amy’s book: Cheers to Monday
• Self-compassion assessment (via Kristin Neff)
• Contact: amy@amyleneker.com

Amy's new book, national bestseller 'Cheers to Monday' was selected by the The Next Big Idea Club as one of their must reads, and they invited Amy on their podcast to talk about her big takeaways from the book.

This week's episode of 'Less Stress, More Joy' is a feed drop of Amy's episode on 'The Next Big Idea Club Daily' podcast. Amy shares a practical, research-backed framework to help you rethink stress, redesign your work, and create space for more joy.

You’ll learn:

• Why modern work is designed to create stress (and what to do about it).
• The hidden “stress stories” shaping your behavior at work.
• How to use the Stress Ruler to quickly assess what’s really going on.
• The 5 types of work stress (and why treating them the same doesn’t work).
• A simple 3-step method to reduce stress without overthinking or burnout.

If you’re a leader, manager, or high performer feeling stretched too thin, this episode will help you shift from survival mode to sustainable success.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Big News

00:58 Why Mondays Feel Heavy

02:52 Work Is Broken

05:43 Stress Stories

09:20 The Stress Ruler

12:47 Types of Stress and How to Un-Stress

18:26 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Share this episode with anyone interested in stress awareness month, leadership coaching for women, work stress, leadership coaching, burnout recovery, workplace stress, stress management, employee wellbeing, leadership development, productivity, mental health at work, burnout prevention, workplace culture, stress and performance, joy at work, Cheers to Monday, or nonfiction authors.

Order 'Cheers to Monday' here: https://www.amyleneker.com/book

What if your stress at work isn’t just about your workload—but a misalignment with your values?

On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, Amy Leneker explores how identifying and aligning with your core values can transform how you experience stress, conflict, and joy at work. Drawing from leadership coaching, workplace mediation experience, and research featured in her bestselling book Cheers to Monday, Amy shares a practical framework to help leaders and teams reduce stress without pretending it disappears.

You’ll learn why stress and joy are not opposites, how high stress pulls you out of your values, and how reconnecting with those values can improve decision-making, workplace relationships, and overall well-being.

This episode is especially valuable for leaders, managers, and professionals navigating workplace conflict, burnout, and team dynamics. Through real-world examples—including leadership coaching insights and conflict mediation cases—you’ll see how values like collaboration, autonomy, integrity, and honesty shape team culture and communication.

Amy also dives into:

• How to identify your top core values
• Why values are critical in leadership coaching and decision-making
• How workplace conflict is often rooted in misaligned values
• The connection between stress, burnout, and values misalignment
• How to build trust, compassion, stability, and hope in teams
• Why including yourself in your values is essential to avoid burnout

Whether you're a leader, team member, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you lead with clarity, reduce stress, and create more joy—without toxic positivity.

🎧 Perfect for:

leadership coaching for women, workplace conflict resolution, stress management at work, burnout recovery, emotional intelligence, team leadership, organizational culture, values-based leadership, and personal development.

Chapters:

00:00 Why Values Matter

02:34 Joy and Stress Aren’t Opposites

05:11 Find Your Top Values

07:30 Values in Workplace Conflict

12:05 When Values Shift

16:43 Include Yourself in Values

21:20 Connection and Hope at Work