When I Learned About Hardiness

A Day to Remember

In the early 80’s, I remember sitting on an uncomfortable folding chair in a large auditorium at Brigham Young University filled with people listening to a speaker named Susan Kobasa. I couldn’t see her because I was sitting too far back, but what she spoke on that day changed the course of my life. (This photograph is of the notes I took on that day and have kept because they are so important to me.)

Dr. Kobasa, a psychologist, presented her research on how people respond when under prolonged stress. Learning from the experiences of a group of corporate executives who worked for the Illinois Bell Telephone company, she studied their responses as they significantly downsized their company due to deregulation. 

As expected, roughly two-thirds of the employees studied showed significant negative impact from this workplace stress. Symptoms were reported in all areas of life, health (e.g. strokes, heart attacks, weight gain), emotional (e.g. anxiety, depression), social (e.g. divorce, anger), and work (e.g. poor performance reviews, increased conflict).

But as they looked at the data, they discovered that one-third of the group, going through the exact same circumstances, were actually doing fine, more than fine, they were thriving!

Despite experiencing as much disruption as their peers, these people maintained their health, happiness, and performance. They saw new opportunities, felt renewed enthusiasm, and often improved family relationships.

This is where I sat up and said, “Say, what?” I immediately wanted to know what this healthy group was thinking or doing that enabled them to do this. I now hung on every word Dr. Kobasa had to say. 

The Beliefs of Hardiness

Further investigation uncovered three beliefs held by the thriving group that empowered them to turn change and adversity into growth and advantage. Together, these beliefs create personal hardiness, a type of protection from the damage of stress. 

The three beliefs of hardiness are Control, Challenge, and Commitment. 

Control. Hardy people have a sense of personal control over their lives. In situations where they don’t have direct control, they work to influence outcomes, rather than become passive, hopeless, and helpless. (I’ve since discovered that a key skill is the ability to quickly discern what can be controlled and what cannot. Non-hardy folks put a lot of energy into trying to change what they don’t control.)

Commitment. Hardy people focus on what is most important to them–health, work, family, and other important values. They stay engaged and persist in their coping efforts because their life has purpose. They persevere and don’t give up when things get hard. 

Challenge. Hardy people view stress and change as a challenge they can overcome by increasing knowledge and learning new skills. If you listen to hardy individuals describe difficult experiences in their lives, they will actually use the word, “challenge” to describe their view of the events.

These three beliefs, combined with regular exercise and social support, were the secret formula for those who thrived under stress. While many are born resilient, Kobasa and her colleagues later discovered that hardiness can be learned and cultivated by focusing on these beliefs and the actions that support them.

Best News Ever

Isn’t this amazing news? We do not have to be victims of stress or adversity. It’s not inevitable that when we’re stressed, we’ll suffer with negative symptoms. Just like actions that prevent illness and promote physical health (e.g. physical activity, sleep, fruits, and vegetables), there are actions that promote mental and emotional wellness. 

From that day forward, hardiness has been woven through my education, work, and life. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m better every day.

Now it’s time to share my knowledge of hardiness with you, my dear readers. Imagine the foundation you’ll have when you apply the beliefs and skills of thriving through difficult times. No trial is wasted when it is used to develop the best version of yourself.

Journaling Question

Look around and ask: ”Who do I know that seems to get through hard times well?” “What do they think or do that others don’t do?” “How did they learn to be hardy?” Then begin a list in your journal of their names, their characteristics, and their stories. This will become your personal source of role-models and inspiration as we move forward. I’ll share some of mine in the next post.