Anxiety, Depression and Grit

Grit is a word that has come back in use. In 2013, educators were writing about grit, saying that it is the single most important factor in success at school, work, business and relationships. This makes sense because, in order to be successful, one needs to stick at things despite hard times.

Anyone who has been married for a long time will attest to the fact that marriage takes a lot of work and perseverance. Staying in the relationship, and working things out, takes grit.

Similarly, businessmen will tell you that building a business is a long term process which requires hard work, determination and persistence over many years. It is well known that inventors have many setbacks and failures which they need to work through before they perfect their invention.

Life deals every person the same setbacks and tragedies. It is the people who bounce back and recover from these situations that eventually make it.

Grit can be defined as stamina, passion and perseverance. Sticking with your future for years and working hard to make it a reality.

The question is, how does one build grit or maintain it?

The answer is to learn:

emotion regulation, and
a positive thinking style.

It has been shown that your mood, and attitude to life, will interfere with your ability to stay the course and solve problems.

Specifically, research* on optimism and pessimism has shown that optimists cope better overall. Optimists are problem focused and plan-oriented. Optimists tend to accept the reality of stressful events, try to see the best in bad situations and try to learn something from them.

Pessimists, on the other hand, tend to disengage from goals when a situation becomes stressful. Pessimists tend to avoid acceptance of difficult situations using escapism and more emotion-focused coping.

The good news is that it is possible to learn to think like an optimist and to reduce anxiety and fear. Moreover, pessimism and depression can be managed with appropriate treatment like CBT.

Having a “growth mindset” is part of grit too. That is, believing that you can change and develop no matter your age or gender. Therefore, from today, you can begin to develop grit by being positive about the possibility of developing grit and actively seeking tools that can assist you.

Here at Anxiety Solutions CBT we offer a range of services, including CBT therapy which can aid you through management of your mental health difficulties. You can contact us or call us on 02 9328 5899 to find out more and book an appointment with one of our warm, empathetic and experienced Clinical Psychologists, Registered Psychologists or Psychotherapists.

*Carver, Scheier & Weintraub, 1989

By Renee Mill|2022-07-18T12:54:00+10:00November 9th, 2014|Anxiety, Mental Health|

About the Author: Renee Mill

Renee Mill -- Anxiety Solutions CBT Director, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor and Best Selling Author -- has counseled hundreds of individuals, couples and families for over 30 years. She cares deeply about her clients and has created a warm and safe environment for all thrive. Renee has worked intensely on creating a new technique for dealing with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, fear of public speaking, performance anxiety and panic attacks. Renee’s other key areas of interest are depression, relationships and couple therapy, self-worth, parenting, resilience and well-being. Renee has published 3 best selling books and lectured in Australia, China, Israel, the United States and South Africa. She is well known on the speaker’s circuit and is often called upon by the media for her professional opinion. To hear Renee’s interviews or read her articles have a look at our Media Section.