Why mental toughness matters
Doug Strycharczyk explores how mental toughness—Control, Commitment, Confidence and Challenge—shapes our ability to handle stress and prevent burnout.
We live in interesting times. For many this means more stress and more pressure, especially in performance activities such as sales. People are recognised as working harder, working long hours, attempting unrealistic targets, with the consequence being that they burn out.
But that is only true for some. And misunderstanding burnout can make a problem worse, not better. Research indicates that we experience burnout for varied reasons, but it primarily relates to our mental toughness.
Mental Toughness has four core elements – Control, Commitment, Confidence and Challenge.
Why mental toughness matters
We now understand that the mentally tough and the mentally sensitive approach tasks differently, with implications for preventing burnout and for restoring wellbeing.
Much of the time, a mentally tough response brings advantage to the individual. The mentally tough can often take on challenges that are beyond most people and appear to be comfortable about making the effort to achieve them.
However, research from Hull University* shows that the mentally tough may not recognise the warning signs of burnout. Confident people may overestimate their ability to deal with heavy workloads. Individuals with high levels of commitment may over-ride the signs of fatigue when striving to deliver their goals.
The figure below illustrates how each factor in the mental toughness concept can make its own contribution to burnout.
To prevent burnout, understanding mental toughness can inform how work and tasks are allocated and supported. Especially where the task places a high demand on the individual.
For the more mentally tough, to minimise burnout, approaches could include:
- Taking regular breaks
- Switching off by taking time away from the task
- When burn out has occurred, taking time to refresh and reenergise
The more mentally sensitive are likely to need support and guidance:
- Help with planning and preparation
- Taking time to identify potential problems and concerns, and finding solutions
- To be provided with support to manage worries ie a mentor or a buddy
Being self-aware about mental toughness will suggest how tasks are handled and why someone might or might not be at risk of burnout.