Three C’s for Creating Health & Wellness

Life has a way of surprising us with challenges we didn’t expect, especially when it comes to our health. Studies show that some people can deal with these significant issues with greater resiliency than others. They tend to rebound and take on the challenge with confidence and hope. If you believe yourself to be strong in the face of stressful situations, you can classify your emotional hardinesss as high. If not, you may want o learn how to develop and apply the characteristics of a hardy personality to better enhance your chances of successfully dealing with your health crises.

Psychologist Susan Kobasa identified three elements to hardiness:

Challenge: Resilient people view their “problems” as challenge to overcome. They feel motivated and embrace the setback with a positive attitude and strength. They have strong determination to address the issue and then do something about it. The see change as something to master, so they can move on with their lives.

Personal Control: Hardy people take charge of the situation and have the courage to take risks. They feel empowered and in control of their lives.

Commitment: The reason why hardy people persevere is because they take an active part in what happens to them. They set goals, apply meaning to their behavior and maintain a strong sense of purpose. Even when things aren’t going their way, they stay committed, taking action to remedy their situation.

What does hardiness mean in terms of your health? Let’s say you were diagnosed with cancer. After the initial shock wears off, what do you do? With determination and drive, you start researching everything you need to know about the disease, including traditional and non-traditional treatments. In collaboration with your doctor, you decide on the best course of treatment and take responsibility for redirecting your life. You become an active participant in your recovery, rather than a bystander. You challenge, advocate and question everything and stay focused on your goal, which is getting healthy.

Developing emotional hardiness means facing your adversity, meeting the challenge and knowing what you need to do. It means not giving up or giving in, but staying strong in your commitment to succeed.