Building Hardiness Skills to Cope Better with Stress

We can’t get rid of all the stress in our lives – but we can learn to deal with it better!

Experiencing some level of stress is healthy and can even be helpful. But chronic stress can lead to burnout, a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. Some causes of burnout include feeling undervalued, toxic teams, and a sense of powerlessness. All three of those factors can be addressed by increasing your hardiness skills.

People who are hardy respond better to stressors, may have more adaptive coping skills, might display more adaptability, have more life satisfaction, and are more likely to enjoy their work. That’s a plus for organizations, because happier, more engaged, more adaptable employees lead to more productive work environments, stronger teams, and healthier organizations.

There are three major factors that determine your level of hardiness.

Challenge

Do you see change and novelty as exciting and an opportunity for you to learn and grow? If not, it may help to develop Challenge skills. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Work to become an expert in something
• Ask for feedback
• Be realistic about your work, assignments, and obstacles
• Try new things

Control

Having a high sense of self-efficacy and a belief that you can influence outcomes in your life means you have Control skills. If you want to develop those skills, try these strategies:

• Find the positive in situations
• Develop coping mechanisms so you’re ready when stressors come up
• Break projects down into smaller pieces

Commitment

People with Commitment skills are engaged and see most parts of their lives as interesting and meaningful. If that doesn’t sound like you, try these ways to develop Commitment:

• Establish a support system
• Commit to yourself (to be healthier, more active, more focused, etc.)
• Recognize and appreciate the process

If you’re interested in learning more about hardiness, we’re here for you! Purple Ink offers coaching and training on hardiness and resilience. Reach out to us to learn more.