Mental Toughness
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson
Our bodies need air, water, food, exercise, and sleep to stay alive. But we also need a functioning, calm, and curious mind to motivate, guide, challenge, and keep us safe. Some call it spirituality, others talk about mindfulness, but for me, we need a strong mind that lets us be who we are in a world filled with awe, opportunities, but also dangers, and challenges.
What is mental toughness?
Research has found that mental toughness (MT) is a universal concept, not limited to any specific field. It encompasses positive psychological resources that are crucial in various achievement contexts and in the domain of mental health. While MT has its highest profile in sport, its impact is now recognized in a wide range of other domains, making it a relevant and relatable topic for everyone.
Simply put, negative life events, crises, challenges, and stressful situations are a significant part of human experience. While they are often unavoidable, they also present a unique opportunity for growth and self-improvement. For many individuals, the consequences of adversity negatively affect both physical and mental health. In contrast, for others, they pose a chance to better themselves, learn, and strengthen their understanding of themselves and the world around them. So the question is, which do you want to be?
Our resilience is often tested when life circumstances change unexpectedly and for the worse — such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the end of a relationship. Such challenges, however, present the opportunity to rise above and come back even stronger than you were before.
If you fall into the latter category, don't worry. The good news is that mental resilience is a quality that can be learned and honed through practice, discipline, and hard work. Many practical strategies are available to help you build and strengthen your mental resilience, empowering you to deal with challenges effectively.
Read on to learn techniques to build and improve your mental resilience and deal effectively with life's challenges.
How to Measure Mental Toughness?
There are different research models for measuring mental toughness. For me, the one that makes the most sense is drawing on the 4C’s hardiness model: the MTQ48 Psychometric Tool, constructed by Professor Peter Clough of Manchester Metropolitan University. The MTQ48 Tool is scientifically valid and reliable and based on this 4C framework, which measures key components of mental toughness.
The 4 C’s of Mental Toughness:
1. Control
This is the extent to which you feel you are in control of your life, including your emotions and sense of life purpose. The control component can be considered your self-esteem. Being high on the Control scale means feeling comfortable in your own skin and having a good sense of who you are.
You’re able to control your emotions — less likely to reveal your emotional state to others — and be less distracted by the emotions of others. Being low on the control scale means you might feel like events happen to you and that you have no control or influence over what happens.
2. Commitment
This is the extent of your personal focus and reliability. To be high on the Commitment scale is to be able to effectively set goals and consistently achieve them, without getting distracted. A high Commitment level indicates that you’re good at establishing routines and habits that cultivate success.
Being low on the Commitment scale indicates that you may find it difficult to set and prioritize goals or adapt routines or habits indicative of success. You might also need to focus more on other people or competing priorities.
The Control and Commitment scales represent the Resilience part of the Mental Toughness definition. This makes sense because the ability to bounce back from setbacks requires knowing that you are in control of your life and can make a change. It also requires focus and the ability to establish habits and targets that will get you back on track to your chosen path.
3. Challenge
This is the extent to which you are driven and adaptable. To be high on the Challenge scale means that you are driven to achieve your personal best, and you see challenges, change, and adversity as opportunities rather than threats; you are likely to be flexible and agile. To be low on the Challenge scale means that you might see change as a threat and avoid novel or challenging situations out of fear of failure.
4. Confidence
This is the extent to which you believe in your ability to be productive and capable; it is your self-belief and the belief that you can influence others. To be high on the Confidence scale is to believe that you will successfully complete tasks and take setbacks in stride while maintaining routine and strengthening your resolve. To be low on the
Confidence scale means that setbacks easily unsettle you and do not believe that you are capable or have any influence over others.
The Challenge and Confidence scales represent the Confidence part of the Mental Toughness definition. Confidence represents one’s ability to identify and seize an opportunity and see situations as opportunities to embrace and explore. This makes sense because if you are confident in yourself and your abilities and engage easily with others, you are more likely to convert challenges into successful outcomes (make it into a table).
How to Build Mental Toughness?
To achieve high scores on the 4 Cs, it is important to understand what they stand for, how they can be measured in your daily life, and how to implement them into your mental and physical routine. Developing mental toughness is a personal journey. For some people it might come more naturally, while others need to work hard at it. The good news is that it is quite common and possible for all of us. Most mental toughness is looked for when faced with adversity. Another concept that arises in that situation is resilience. Mentally taught people manage to build their resilience to overcome and even excel when faced with hardships or challenges.
The American Psychology Association (“Road to Resilience,” n.d.) shares 11 strategies for building mental toughness:
1. Make connections.
Resilience can be strengthened through our connection to family, friends, and community. Healthy relationships with people who care about you and will listen to your problems, offer support during difficult times and help us reclaim hope. Likewise, assisting others in their time of need can benefit us greatly and foster our sense of resilience.
2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems.
We cannot change the external events happening around us, but we can control our reaction to them. In life, there will always be challenges, but it’s important to look beyond whatever stressful situation you are faced with and remember that circumstances will change. Take notice of the subtle ways you may already start feeling better as you deal with the difficult situation.
3. Accept that change is a part of living.
They say that the only thing constant in life is change. As a result of difficult circumstances, certain goals may no longer be realistic or attainable. Accepting what you cannot change allows you to focus on the things that you do have control over.
4. Move toward your goals.
Though it is important to develop long-term, big-picture goals, it is essential to make sure they’re realistic. Creating small, actionable steps makes our goals achievable and helps us to work regularly towards these goals, creating small “wins” along the way. Try to accomplish one small step towards your goal every day.
5. Take decisive actions.
Instead of shying away from problems and stresses, wishing they would go away, try to take decisive action whenever possible.
6. Look for opportunities for self-discovery.
Sometimes, tragedy can result in significant learning and personal growth. Living through a difficult situation can increase our self-confidence and sense of self-worth, strengthen our relationships, and teach us a great deal about ourselves. Many people who have experienced hardship have also reported a heightened appreciation for life and deepened spirituality.
7. Nurture a positive view of yourself.
Working to develop confidence in yourself can be beneficial in preventing difficulties, as well as building resilience. Having a positive view of yourself is crucial when it comes to problem-solving and trusting your own instincts.
8. Keep things in perspective.
When times get tough, remember that things could be worse; avoid blowing things out of proportion. Cultivating resilience requires keeping a long-term perspective when facing difficult or painful events.
9. Maintain a hopeful outlook.
When we focus on the negative aspects of a situation and remain fearful, we are less likely to find a solution. Try to maintain a hopeful, optimistic outlook and expect a positive outcome instead of a negative one. Visualization can be a helpful technique in this respect.
10. Take care of yourself.
Self-care is an essential strategy for building resilience and helps keep your mind and body healthy enough to deal with difficult situations. Taking care of yourself means paying attention to your own needs and feelings and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Regular physical exercise is also a great form of self-care.
11. Additional ways of strengthening resilience may be helpful.
Resilience building can mean different things to different people. Journaling, practicing gratitude, meditation, and other spiritual practices help some people restore hope and strengthen their resolve.
Further Reading:
If you want to practice building your resilience against hardships and challenges life throws at you and, through them, your mental toughness, Positive Psychology has created a workbook for exercises. You can download it here.
