Hardiness - Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals

Introduction Chapter 1: Stress: What's All The Fuss? Stress: It's Unavoidable Hardiness Can Make a Big Difference in How You Cope with Stress Introducing the Three Cs Chapter 2: Commitment: Why Pursuing Purpose in Life Matters What is the Theory Behind Commitment? What We Can Learn About Commitment from Prisoners of War Surviving Post-Traumatic Stress: Hardiness-Commitment vs. Short-Term Pleasures Increasing Commitment in Your Life Victor Frankl: Purpose, Commitment, and Meaning The Role of Commitment in Success: Jim Carrey When Commitment Leads to Calling: The Success Factor for Musicians Chapter 3: Building Commitment Take time to think about what is important and interesting to you. . . your personal values and goals. Are You Plagued By The Work/Balance Conundrum? Work on increasing your skills and competence in an area that is important to you. Take pride in your past successes and achievements Remember the good things in your life, count your blessings! Spend time with family, friends, people you care about. Pay attention to what's going on in the world around you, read, observe. Try out new things Chapter 4: The Role of Hardiness-Challenge A Tale of Two Accountants How Challenge Prepares You for Change Understanding Your Mindset Expanding the "Mindset" Concept Beyond Abilities Why Traditional Coping Methods Don't Always Work Examining the "Work of Worrying" Theory Stress Mindset vs. Hardiness-Challenge How Can We Change Mindsets? Physiological Differences as a Result of Your Mindset Hardiness-challenge and Madonna Chapter 5: Building a Challenge Mindset Remind yourself that no matter what happens, changes are always an opportunity to learn and get better Do not live every day by a rigid schedule. . . allow for variation and surprises Be willing to change your plans to meet changing conditions Whenever you do fail at something, ask: what can I learn from this? Try out new things, take reasonable risks Imagine future positive outcomes. Do not dwell on past disappointments. . ., learn, forgive and look ahead. Chapter 6: Understanding Hardiness Control Taking Control When Your Body Can't: Michael J. Fox Managing Your Internal Drives Planning An Orderly Future Control: Too Much or Too Little Managing Your Impulses Can Mental Health Problems Be Related to Control Issues? Can Higher Control Have Benefits at Work? How Control Can Make You More Effective at Work How Can You Start To Improve Your Control? Chapter 7: Getting Yourself More in Control Focus your time and energy on things you can control or influence. Work on tasks that are within your capabilities, moderately difficult but not overwhelming For difficult jobs, break them up into manageable pieces so you can see the progress Plan ahead and gather up the right tools and resources for the task Ask for help when you need it Recognize your successes. When you just cannot solve a problem, turn your attention to other things you can control! Chapter 8: A look under the hood: How hardiness works to protect health and performance The hardy stress response: Appraising the situation The hardy stress response: Reacting to stress Positively Adapting to stress Stress and the heart: The role of hardiness Stress and the immune system Chapter 9: Hardiness at Work Driving a Bus Is No Walk in the Park Does Hardiness Influence Your Career Choice? Hardiness Scores of Healthcare Professionals What Do We know About Hardiness and Work Satisfaction? Challenges vs. Hindrances at Work Practicing Hardiness in the Legal Profession Putting Your Hardiness to Work Chapter 10: What We Can Learn from Hardiness in High Stakes Performance Careers: Musical Artists and Sports Playing Out Hardiness as a Musical Director Secrets of Long-Term Success as an Entertainer Looking at Hardiness in Young Performing Musicians Hardiness in Sports What You Can Learn from Increasing Hardiness Levels in Competitive Swimmers Chapter 11: The Role of Hardiness in First Responders: Police and Firefighters Hardiness and Policing One Way That Firefighters Cope with Stress Hardiness and Homicide Police Investigator Mark Mendelson Can Hardiness Help in the Selection Police Officers? Some Things we Can Learn from First Responders Chapter 12: The Hardy Leader World's 50 Greatest Leaders Coaching Hardiness Coaching Techniques to Build Hardiness Chapter 13: Hardiness at the U.S. Military Academy - West Point Welcome to West Point! Becoming leaders Women at West Point Who drops out? Hardiness and the ability to persist Portrait of a Hardy Cadet Making yourself a hardy leader Chapter 13: Hardiness at the U.S. Military Academy - West Point Welcome to West Point! Becoming leaders Women at West Point Who drops out? Hardiness and the ability to persist Portrait of a Hardy Cadet Making yourself a hardy leader Chapter 14: Hardiness and your Health Hardiness and Heart Disease Hardiness and Diabetes Hardiness and the Immune System Hardiness and Cancer Hardiness and Arthritis Health, Hardiness and Social Support Hardiness and Sleep Hardiness and Health Habits Using the Three Cs of Hardiness to Stay Healthy Chapter 15: Moving From Life Stress to Life Success: The Role of Hardiness in Turning Around Your World From Tragic Loss to Uplifting the Lives of Others Transcending One's Circumstances From Tragedy to the World Stage New Life in a New Country: Struggles and Achievements Physical Fitness, Hardiness, and the Stress of a Child's Life-Threatening Illness References Acknowledgments About the Authors Index