“...regardless of the situation.” A mentally tough athlete treats practice and pre-season competitions with the same intensity as league and post-season games. Challenge: Willingness to push boundaries, accept risks, and learn from mistakes and failures. Coaches and sports commentators frequently espouse the importance of mental toughness in competitive athletes. What Is This Thing Called Mental Toughness? My definition of mental toughness is the ability to remain calm, cool and collected no matter what the situation.  From an empirical perspective, this “everything but the kitchen sink” notion is problematic because it does not allow for standardization and scientific analysis. A person with mental toughness faces challenges directly and is effective in solving them. I believe that someone who’s mentally tough has a combination of willpower, skill and resilience. They look for … In most sports the next play or the next move is the same no matter if it’s at practice or in the last few minutes of the championship game. Becoming mentally strong is not something that you can just decide to do, and it usually doesn't happen overnight. The two questions I get most often are what is mental toughness and how do you develop it? Specifically, let’s take a look at core beliefs, habits and the mindset that mentally tough people cultivate that helps them get through life’s toughest challenges. Mentally tough people love to be challenged. “Able to access their talent...” An athlete who has all the talent and strength they need through weight training and conditioning, learning the technical aspects of their sport or position, and years of experience against great competition must be able to use all of that when the time comes. In their article titled What is this Thing Called Mental Toughness?, Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton (2002) aggregated input from 10 international-level athletes and came up with: “Mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to: Generally, cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on the performer.  Specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure.”, This definition has been criticized for its emphasis on being “better than opponents” and thus describing a relative rather than an absolute notion of mental toughness.  Nevertheless, it set the stage for nearly two decades of research during which numerous alternative definitions have been put forward, each promising to be the one that unites the field. Â. These are the things that people do to make sure that they toughen themselves up mentally. Contact Kathy A. Feinstein a certified Sports Performance Consultant in Naples, Florida. When they need to confront a toxic person, they approach the situation rationally. Most studies focusing around mental toughness have lacked methodological diversity and therefore longitudinal studies may benefit researchers who are trying to study mental toughness. In most sports the next play or the next move is the same no matter if it’s at practice or in the last few minutes of the championship game. For mos… The result was their 4 C model of mental toughness: Control: Sense of personal responsibility for life circumstances and regulation of emotions. The qualities of mentally strong people include compassion, caring and patience. Mentally Tough individuals performance consistently under pressure and deal better with stress and challenges. In other words, you can go about your business no matter what happens. Fletcher (Fletcher & Fletcher, 2005; Fletcher, 2005) provides an alternative way of viewing mental toughness. Dr. Dave shares his expertise via blogging, individual coaching, team workshops, and speaking engagements. Strong internal drive to succeed and relentless pursuit of goals. Their “survive and thrive” definition of mental toughness as being RESILENCE, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and failures and CONFIDENCE, the ability to spot and seize opportunities, is a sound and symmetrical definition which I use all the time. Many times a defeat is the seed of discontent we need to motivate us to improve our game. By having a well developed pre-, during and post-performance routine you steer clear of one of the most dangerous activities a performer can engage in: thinking! It is defined differently depending on who you ask.  They have an opportunity mindset, meaning that they tend to view pressure situations as exciting opportunities rather than debilitating threats. Being Mentally Well and Mentally Tough are not the same thing. An Investigation of Elite Sport Performers, by Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002, Developing Mental Toughness, by Clough & Strycharczyk, 2012, Mental Toughness and Success in Sport: A Review and Prospect, by R. Cowden, 2017, Mental Toughness: Progress and Prospects, by D. Gucciardi, 2017, A Qualitative Exploration of Choking in Elite Golf, by Hill, Hanton, Matthews, & Fleming, 2010, A Re-examination of Choking in Sport, by Hill, Hanton, and Fleming, 2009, Mental Toughness in Sport: Achievement Level, Gender, Age, Experience, and Sport Type Differences, by Nichols, Polman, Levy, & Backhouse, 2009, The Social Construction of Mental Toughness, by Caddick and Ryall, 2012. “...they are capable…” Your effort has nothing to do with the competition. In the sports setting, several research groups have adopted a more “subjective” approach to defining mental toughness, choosing to rely on the collective wisdom of elite athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists. There is an encouraging change taking place behind the scenes in elite sport around the world.  In my next article, I will address this question by doing what I always do – looking at the evidence, if any exists, for training techniques designed to enhance mental toughness.  But ask someone what they mean by mental toughness, and you are bound to hear a fuzzy description that might include just about any positive psychological attribute imaginable. Many of these traits are highly sought after, however, they are often showcased to hide underlying feelings of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty.  Good question. The following comes from a previous note found here I sent out a while back but thought it was worth sharing again. And it's a lot harder than it sounds.  Â, Confidence: Deeply ingrained belief in one’s ability and comfort asserting oneself interpersonally. Mentally tough people do not shy away from the spotlight. Being mentally and emotionally strong means that you can behave normally no matter how much stress is presented. Mentally tough people view obstacles as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event. Mentally tough people have a quality called “sticktoitiveness” – a dogged perseverance in achieving the goals that they have set for themselves despite setbacks and occasional failures. One of the most critical elements to building mental toughness and keeping a strong and focused mind is having a strong “why” for all of your short and long-term goals.. Some psychologists have argued that a separate, sport-specific definitions of mental toughness should be developed. Let’s break that down. Learn more. Research shows that mentally tough children perform up to 25% better in exams. Top-tier athletes know that mental toughness training is a part of their great athletic achievements. Get in the habit of always playing at the height of your ability and you will see that ability continue to grow. Â, In my next article, I will address this question by doing what I always do –. Mentally tough people control their interactions with toxic people by keeping their feelings in check. They sleep better, show better attendance, are more engaged in the classroom and have higher aspirations. As the mental toughness concept increased in popularity, researchers began questioning its scientific merit and pushing for the development of an operational definition so that mental toughness could be quantified and studied using the tools of science. This 2-factor model can be reconciled with the 4C’s above if control and commitment are considered subfactors of resilience while confidence and challenge are subsumed under robust self-confidence, as in the graphic below: Thus, if remembering all 4 components of the 4C model exceeds your working memory capacity, you can simplify it down to only two! 2. It’s practice that takes work, but if … Differences have been hypothesized between male and female athletes, as well as between "team sport" and "individual sport" athletes, but to date, little empirical evidence has shown what these differences are. The first scientifically grounded attempt at defining and measuring mental toughness was provided by Clough, Earle, and Sewell (2002). For example do mentally tough athletes exhibit more positive self-talk in comparison to less mentally tough athletes.  What emerges is a two-factor conceptualization in which mental toughness is considered a combination of robust self-confidence and resilience. This concludes that mental toughness means to have a strong and durable mind. When speaking of mental toughness people utter words like dominant, stoic, unaffected, or robotic. The DNA of Mentally Tough People. Dr. Dave Schroerlucke is a mental performance expert helping individuals and teams develop the attitudes, habits, and mental skills that promote optimal performance, particularly within the context of competitive or high-stakes environments. The widespread use of the 4C model is due in large part to the efforts of its developers in extending its scope of application beyond sports and into the domains of education, business, and the military.  The 4C model also enjoys a prominent role in health psychology, where mental toughness is seen as an important moderator between stress and illness. These are the strategies I teach. “...at the highest level...” Whitey Bimstein, a long time boxer and trainer once said, “Show me an undefeated fighter and I'll show a guy who's never fought anybody.” His point was to show that an athlete should seek out the best competition even if that means losing once in a while. Mental toughness is a core skill to have at hand when dealing with challenge and change in the working environment. The researchers take care to note that just because ambition is … Yet another important unsettled debate involves the proverbial nature-nurture question: Are some people just born with more mental toughness or is it something that can be developed through training? A … Mentally tough people do not externalize blame or credit. Here are a few of them in chronological order: Eenie meenie miney mo… Take your pick. Having become a sort of default explanation for any victory in challenging situations, mental toughness has been criticized as, “one of the most used but least understood terms in applied sport psychology”, Mental toughness made its sports debut in the mid-1980s with the early work of Jim Loehr, who defined it rather loosely as, “the ability to consistently perform towards the upper range of your talent and skill regardless of competitive circumstances.”. In Webster’s Dictionary, mental is defined as relating to the mind. The 4C model also enjoys a prominent role in health psychology, where mental toughness is seen as an important moderator between stress and illness. Becoming mentally tough doesn’t happen overnight. The only difference is the audience. A mentally tough individual sees challenge and adversity as an opportunity and not a threat, and has the confidence and positive approach to take what comes in their stride (Strycharczyk, 2015). History is rife with championships being won on the last ditch effort of some one-hit wonder that only has that one situation to their name, then fades shortly after. Piggybacking off of the already well-established concept of “hardiness” (with its 3 components of control, challenge, and commitment), Clough and colleagues added a 4th component of confidence, which they felt was essential to the notion of mental toughness. Willingness to push boundaries, accept risks, and learn from mistakes and failures. How do you know how mentally tough you are? If you think of it as a metaphor, resilience would be the mountain, while mental toughness … The only difference is the audience. “...on a consistent basis…” Anyone can be great in a random chance moment. A mentally tough athlete treats practice and pre-season competitions with the same intensity as league and post-season games. Mental health (wellbeing) is starting to be considered an important part of sporting excellence. Mentally tough people do not shy away from the spotlight. Mentally tough people love to be challenged. Deeply ingrained belief in one’s ability and comfort asserting oneself interpersonally. A mentally tough athlete treats practice and pre-season competitions with the same intensity as league and post-season games. Today’s headlines are tomorrow’s fish wrappings, so to be great you need to be consistent. In a sea of athletes who may be bigger, faster, and stronger than you, always seek out ways to be able to access your talent on a moments notice. They have highlighted that the attributes of a mentally tough athlete in one sport may differ greatly from the attributes of a mentally tough athlete in a different sport. What is this Thing Called Mental Toughness? Connect With Your Purpose. Â. Routines help us to trust the process and not focus on the outcome. One could write volumes and volumes of how to become mentally tough. For … Mentally tough individuals tend to be sociable and outgoing; as they are able to remain calm and relaxed, they are competitive in many situations and have lower anxiety levels than others. An Investigation of Elite Sport Performers, Mental Toughness and Success in Sport: A Review and Prospect, A Qualitative Exploration of Choking in Elite Golf, Mental Toughness in Sport: Achievement Level, Gender, Age, Experience, and Sport Type Differences. There is an old adage, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” You can only control three things as an athlete - your effort, your attitude, and your preparation. If you are willing to suspend your (well-placed) skepticism for a moment and disregard the unstable foundation upon which mental toughness research rests, we can explore the evidence for whether it (whatever “it” is) can be considered a useful construct for predicting differences in performance.  We will discuss the quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (descriptive) evidence separately.Â, In a 2017 review of 19 quantitative studies from 2007-2016 relating mental toughness to competitive standard, performance, and achievement, Richard Cowden found that the results collectively “support the commonly held belief that mentally tougher athletes tend to be more successful” as “88% of relevant studies found athletes with higher levels of mental toughness tend to achieve more or perform better.”Â, Qualitative studies have provided additional support for the role of mental toughness in performance, particularly during critical moments.  For example, choke-prone elite golfers identified low mental toughness as an important feature of their choking episodes  (Hill et al, 2010) and four applied sport psychologists with experience at the elite level agreed that mental toughness not only reduces susceptibility to choking, but also increases the odds of recovering optimal performance after a choke has occurred (Hill et al, 2009), Although these results suggest that perhaps there is a there there when it comes to mental toughness research, the whole enterprise has come under attack as a biased social construct that reeks of elitism and stereotypical masculinity.  Several studies have indeed found significant differences across gender and competitive status – with more accomplished male athletes tending to rate higher in mental toughness .  Some critics have gone as far as to argue that mental toughness is nothing more than a romanticized ideal that reinforces the pathologically macho culture of competitive sport (see Caddick & Ryall, 2012). Â. “Mentally tough” has become the go-to phrase to describe the successful athlete or performer. 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