Mental toughness
Mental toughness is one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot in the context of
- Resilience,
- Strength and
- Grit.
It’s the capacity to
- hold up in the face of stress,
- overcome adversity and
- continue to push on, no matter how rough the terrain.
But how do you know if you have it? There are several qualities to consider when it comes to Mental Toughness. Still, one in particular stands out as the clearest indicator: Emotional stability.
This blog will explore
- why emotional stability is the basis for mental toughness,
- what that looks like in real life, and
- some ways to cultivate it to build your Mental Resilience.
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The Defining Sign of Mental Toughness: Emotional Stability
Understanding Emotional Stability
Here’s what emotional stability looks like.
Being able to keep your cool and think clearly no matter what’s happening around you.
Emotionally stable people aren’t unemotional: Stress, anxiety, frustration and anger are all normal parts of life. However, for the emotionally stable, those emotions don’t control their actions or their thinking.
Now, picture a situation where you have to be composed and in control, like delivering an important presentation at work or dealing with an unexpected family emergency. The mentally healthy person won’t let panic overwhelm him/her. Instead, s/he will
- be cool-headed,
- think straight, and
- respond to the situation in a calm and measured manner.
This ability to manage internal chaos in the face of external demands is a hallmark characteristic of mental toughness.
Why Emotional Stability Matters
This emotional stability further enables you to think clearly. When you are gripped by emotion, you tend to overreact and make split-second decisions that you later regret. If you stay calm, you have the distance to think things through rationally. And that, in turn, will enable you to make the right decisions. Think of what makes the difference between
- someone who can perform under pressure and
- someone who cracks.
Second, the stability of relationships in business and personal life needs to be emotionally stable. Being unstable makes relationships difficult because there can be
- misunderstandings,
- mistakes or
- conflicts.
An emotionally stable person can get through these conflicts and maintain relationships without letting their emotions get the best of them. They can
- communicate more effectively,
- solve conflicts with a level head, and
- maintain healthier, more stable relationships.
Also important is that emotional stability is a key ingredient of progress. Life isn’t a smooth path, and how you react to its twists and turns generally determines where you end up. Being emotionally stable, in turn, allows you to
- be inspired,
- not crushed, by the bumps and twists of life,
- stay the course,
- keep your eye on the ball, and
- persevere when things don’t go your way.
This is part of what is known as mental toughness, and it is central to a lifetime of progress.
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How Emotional Stability Manifests in Daily Life
Staying Calm Under Pressure
The most obvious outward display of emotional stability is your ability to cope with pressure. Life obliterates us with stress:
- deadlines,
- interpersonal crises, and
- the unexpected.
For a stable individual, these challenges are met with a cool composure. Rather than panicking or being consumed by anxiety, he
- retreats to his mountain fortress,
- sips contemplatively on a goblet of fine red wine,
- surveys the battlefield and
- goes forth with a well-reasoned battle plan.
For instance, consider a meeting where a key decision must be made quickly. An emotionally stable person would not react impulsively under stress. He or she would not feel pressured to make a quick decision. She would take a moment to think things through,
- consider the relevant information and facts,
- think through the pros and cons of the various choices, and
- arrive at a decision that would benefit the team;
Persisting when the heat is on represents another hallmark of mental toughness.
Moreover, this Self-Control carries over to the home front too. In one’s personal life, emotionally stable people can deal with
- difficult conversations,
- unanticipated news, or
- even emergencies without freaking out.
Their steadiness provides a sense of security for those around them, which can make them great to have in an emergency.
Handling Criticism Gracefully
EQ also comes into its own during criticism, where emotional stability is at a premium. Whether at work or home, criticism happens to the best of us – even though we might try to avoid it. If a colleague calls out an error in your proposal, how you handle it can say a lot about your mental toughness. Emotionally stable individuals
- don’t take criticism personally, and
- they don’t get defensive.
Instead, they see it for what it is and refuse to take it to heart.
For example, say you’ve been assigned a project that didn’t go well, and a coworker gives you feedback on what you could have done better. An emotionally stable person might get a little down on themselves or get frustrated at that moment. Still, they won’t let it affect their self-image or their emotions. They’ll listen to the feedback and think objectively about the points being made and how they can improve on those points in the future.
The sign of a mature, resilient mind is the ability to maintain a high degree of openness to criticism, even when it’s tough to swallow. The fact is, if you can’t stomach the idea of being wrong, you are going to miss out on a lot of growth and will also not enjoy as much respect from others.
Maintaining Focus and Discipline
Emotional stability also plays a role in staying on task and being disciplined in the face of challenges or distractions. Life is filled with surprises and unexpected trajectories that can derail you from your objectives – whether it’s a work failure, a sudden career change, or even the daily annoyances that can derail your focus. The mentally tough stay on task guided by emotional stability.
Consider, for example, a person training for a marathon. In the process of training, they might
- get injured,
- encounter bad weather, or
- not feel like going for a run one day.
A person with good emotional stability will recognise these obstacles without letting them affect the training plan. They will find a way to make it work, find ways to motivate themselves, and still work towards the goal.
This degree of discipline is maintained even while hitting significant setbacks, showing that you can stay committed to your goals no matter what happens. Emotional stability means that you’re able to handle the peaks and valleys without getting blindsided by your feelings.
Building Emotional Stability: Strengthening Your Mental Toughness
Practice Mindfulness
One of the best ways to cultivate this kind of emotional equilibrium is through mindfulness. This practice teaches you to be more aware of your thoughts and feelings as they arise. When you’re mindful, you learn to observe thoughts and feelings with acceptance rather than react to them. This takes practice, but it’s how you begin to stay present in the moment. Through mindfulness, you can slow down
- your thoughts and
- your reactions,
which is key to
- controlling your emotions and
- staying stress-free.
For instance, if you feel anxious about an upcoming presentation, you might recognise it as anxiety but then let it flow past you rather than reacting to it. Instead, use a breath-focus or a grounding exercise to calm your mind and prepare yourself for the presentation. In the long term, this type of mindful practice might lead to greater emotional stability and enable you to deal with stressors more effectively.
Develop Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Coping becomes easier to maintain with healthy outlets. When we aren’t processing our emotions into constructive coping mechanisms, we lose our emotional balance. A healthy dose of exercise, for example,
- mindful meditation,
- talking to a confidante, or
- keeping a journal,
becomes a way to process emotions healthily.
For example, being physically active – say, regularly working out – will not only contribute to your physical wellness but is also an effective way to manage stress. Exercise can release endorphins, which can elevate your mood and make it easier to cope with life’s challenges. Likewise, journaling can be a useful tool for reflecting on your feelings.
With these tools available, you’ll be able to manage stress and maintain a generally stable emotional state. In addition, one can be able to “weather the storm” in life without becoming overwhelmed by emotional turmoil.
Focus on Personal Growth
Mentally strong people also stay in the game through a lifelong process of growth and improvement. The more you stretch your comfort zone,
- the more you expose yourself to new channels and outlets for emotional experience –
- and the stronger and more resilient your mind will become.
Growing as a person could mean setting personal goals, such as those in
- your career,
- relationships, or
- your health and well-being.
It could involve pushing yourself out of your comfort zone by
- taking on a new project at work,
- learning a new skill, or
- trying a new hobby.
For example, each of these experiences helps you to develop new resources and allows you to adapt to new environments, all of which translates into greater mental toughness.
Second, being growth-oriented helps you see setbacks as set-ups. With a growth mindset, your setbacks are set-ups for learning – and that, in turn, is essential for emotional stability. Because having a growth-oriented mindset means that you tend to stay positive and motivated when things don’t go as planned.
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Conclusion
Of all the signs of mental toughness, perhaps the most obvious is the ability to maintain emotional stability in the face of challenge. This ability will let you
- handle pressure with Self-confidence,
- bounce back from criticism, and
- stay focused and disciplined in the face of obstacles.
Emotional stability is, therefore, one of the hallmarks of mental toughness. With
- mindfulness,
- healthy coping skills and
- a commitment to personal growth,
you can strengthen your emotional stability and, in turn, strengthen your mental toughness. It allows you to navigate life’s challenges with more ease. The roadblocks won’t stop you. You’ll instead look down and see a bridge. Walk through your fears. Another sign of mental toughness is the willingness to walk through your fears. If you want to grow and thrive, you’ll need to transcend your fears.