Is Mental Toughness an Art or Science?

Did you know scientists have tried to measure mental toughness?

Mental Toughness has been a topic of discussion and debate for generations as we humans try to define our lives. What makes some people tougher than others?  More successful? More motivated? Calm in stressful situations?  What are the common traits of ordinary people doing extraordinary things?  Can mental toughness be measured?  Scientifically tested?

These are the questions I have been seeking answers to, and the type of questions I get each day from young men and women preparing for challenging programs in the military, law enforcement, and firefighting professions.

There have been some scientific studies conducted to measure how people handle stress and why they excel in Special Operations programs, such as the Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs.  Some of the most interesting and pertinent to this discussion were those conducted by Dr. Andy Morgan of Yale Medical School.  

Dr. Morgan’s work has provided insight into the psycho-neurobiology of resilience in elite soldiers and has contributed to the training mission of Army special programs. His research on enhancing cognitive performance under stress in special operations personnel has been crucial to our better understanding of the stress response. In 2011, Dr. Morgan deployed to Afghanistan as an operational adviser with the Asymmetric Warfare Group.  (http://psychiatry.yale.edu/people/charles_a_morgan-2.profile)

From Don Mann’s Navy SEAL Survival Handbook: Morgan’s research was the first of its kind and produced some fascinating findings about the types of soldiers who successfully managed stress and remained focused.  Morgan examined two different types of soldiers:  regular army troops and Special Forces soldiers.  Initially, the two groups were essentially the same.  But once the stress began, he saw significant differences.  Specifically, the two groups release significantly different amounts of a brain chemical called neuropeptide-Y (NPY). NPY is an amino acid produced by our bodies that helps regulate blood pressure, appetite, learning, and memory.  It also works as a natural tranquilizer, controlling anxiety and buffering the effects of stress hormones like adrenaline.  In essence, NPY levels in Special Forces soldiers are used to block alarm and fear responses and keep the frontal lobe from working while stressed.

Dr. Morgan also studied sailors going through stressful tests at Dive Training.  He found that during the drownproofing and underwater navigation tests conducted, those who performed the best released a natural steroid called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).  DHEA buffers the effects of the stress hormone cortisol and supports the brain in forming spatial relationships and enhancing memory.  Divers with the most NPY and DHEA finished at the top of the class.

The question is:  Does the training enhance this ability or is it genetic?  This is the debate.  Special Operators and scientists have been trying to figure this out for decades.  In fact, recently DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) asked these very questions when recruiting special operations candidates.  Even with Dr. Morgan’s study findings, there is no foolproof method of testing the perfect Special Ops candidate PRIOR to training. There is no scientific evidence that you are born with this ability, but there is statistical and anecdotal evidence that your stress coping ability can be enhanced during stressful training. As Dr. Morgan refers to it as a “stress inoculation.”

Can you further develop the ability to think while simulating stress?  Yes.  One of the physical ways is to design your workouts so that you become significantly tired and winded (physically stressed), and then engage in some form of creative thinking or math.  For instance, one of my favorite “stress–thinkers” is the standard high-rep calisthenics and cardio workouts like Pyramid, Super Sets, and Max Rep Sets. 

Why Do People Graduate Navy SEAL Training? Other Difficult Goals? 

In conclusion, I have been helping candidates prepare for various types of training programs for over 25 years now. I have seen hyper-prepared candidates that I swore would excel in the Spec Ops training, yet they quit due to something other than physical stress. Cold water, darkness, being yelled at by instructors, tactical proficiency issues, and girlfriend/spouse problems can all contribute to a candidate's decision to quit training.  However, I have seen others who were not “physically prepared” by advanced fitness standards successfully graduate from SEAL or Army SF training programs simply by gritting it out each day and meeting the standards.

How Bad Do You Want It? Are You Willing to do What is Required? 

In my opinion, you cannot measure someone’s heart and desire. To date, the best definition of Mental Toughness I have seen is:  "Finding Fuel - When the Tank is Empty".

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