How to make stressful events work for you (Growth Mindset)

A presentation to a big audience, a high-stakes negotiation, or any unexpected crisis. Stressful events are a part of life (and work). Whether you view these events as threats or opportunities greatly influences what you get out of them.

What to do

When you encounter a stressful event, reframe it as a chance for valuable learning, skill development and personal growth.

Why it works

Like with our physiological stress reaction, how we think about stressful events determines whether they harm or help us. Again, there are two mindsets. Both were popularized by Stanford professor Carol Dweck (pictured above) in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. If you believe your ability in any domain cannot change, you’ve got a fixed mindset. If you think your abilities can be developed with effort, effective strategies and support from others, this is a growth mindset.

Whether we have a fixed or growth mindset impacts how we view stressful events. People with a fixed mindset view these events as harmful and uncontrollable. Conversely, those with a growth mindset view normal, but challenging stressors as helpful and controllable. They’re helpful because they provide opportunities for valuable learning and skill development. And they’re controllable because the abilities needed to overcome them can be developed.

In short, a growth mindset views stressful events as opportunities. And like the stress-can-be-enhancing mindset, it even changes the physiology of our stress reaction. People with a fixed mindset have a stronger and more prolonged increase in levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol. According to one study, their cortisol levels were still elevated even a full day after a stressful event. People with a growth mindset experienced a more moderate increase in cortisol and quicker returns to baseline levels after the event.

How to do it

As with developing a stress-can-be-enhancing mindset, the easiest way to adopt a growth mindset is by writing a letter to yourself. To facilitate remembering and learning, pretend you’re writing the letter to someone else. In your own words, describe the growth mindset and how it supports your learning, skill development and personal growth. Include the following details.

Every person who became good at something had to face and overcome struggles. We shouldn’t view our struggles as signs of deficient abilities, but as part of our path of valuable learning and skill development. In this way, our brains resemble a muscle that grows when subjected to rigorous exercise. It develops stronger connections when it faces and overcomes challenges. As a result, we get better at dealing with similar challenges the next time around.

Most stressful events are helpful and controllable. They provide opportunities for learning and skill development. And the abilities needed to overcome them can be developed. Last but not least, with a growth mindset, you’ll change the physiology of your stress response — and experience more moderate increases and quicker returns to baseline cortisol levels.

Got a fixed mindset? Why not write this letter to yourself and adopt a growth mindset today? While it only takes a few minutes, it will forever change how you relate stressful events — and what you get out of them.

And if you can think of one person who could benefit from adopting a growth mindset, please share this post with them.

Until next week,
Christian

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