Mental toughness is a feature of our personality that reflects how well we cope under stressful or challenging situations. Research shows that our levels of mental toughness can affect our well-being, performance, aspirations, and even our cognitive agility. The more we practice mental toughness, the better we are equipped to handle pressurised situations. Therefore, our mental toughness determines, to some extent, how we are mentally coping with stress in our lives.
The 4 C's model of Mental Toughness focuses on four behavioural factors or cognitive skills that make up our overall mental toughness.
Most of us already use at least one or a combination of these skills. The key to well-developed mental toughness is having a balanced approach. Sometimes we engage in one area of mental toughness frequently, but don't use the other skills related to building our mental toughness. It's all about self-awareness, and how we mentally approach challenges and opportunities in life.
If you are struggling to set and achieve goals, increasing your mental toughness is a great place to start! You're already on track to learning how you can improve your mental toughness. Take it one practical step at a time. Here are two to consider;
– Lorna Lawless, Psychologist.