Strengthen your mental game using the four traits of Psychological Capital. H-E-R-O is a positive intervention tool that is easy to recall, as the acronym reminds one to express hero traits. The association to a super-being, that in the end wins, is embedded in our film culture. What if that were our mentality- that despite the hurdles before us, we will succeed- how would our experiences change?

Positive psychological capital (Psy Cap) is “an individual’s positive psychological state of development” and has been vastly studied for its benefits in the workplace. It also enhances life satisfaction, health outcomes, and well-being. Psy Cap is identified by the four elements of HERO.

Think of something that causes you negative emotions and consider how would you feel if you looked at this issue through a HERO lens:

Hope: expecting to achieve your goals and creating pathways to get there

Efficacy: believing in your abilities to take on challenging tasks

Resilience: sustaining and bouncing back to attain success

Optimism: remaining positive about succeeding now and in the future

HERO helps cultivate a positively inclined mental foundation that increases the ability to accomplish a goal or overcome adversity. It can be used to reverse framing experiences through a lens of pessimism, low self-esteem, or anxiousness to one of faith, confidence, and enthusiasm.

The more HERO is rehearsed, the easier it becomes to default to these traits as a first response to challenges. As with any new habit, it is a matter of making it stick. Ask questions that ignite HERO responses daily. Encourage your team to do the same when facing challenges. Self inquiry shifts the brain from reactive impulses to the ability to evaluate while considering new possibilities.

HOPE:

“What pathways and resources do I/we have to move me/us closer towards my/our goal?”

EFFICACY:

“What traits have I/we used to succeed in the past, and who can I/we gain advice from who has experienced something similar?”

RESILIENCE:

“What is the reality of this situation, and what purpose can I/we derive from it?”

OPTIMISM:

“How can this help me/us better handle difficulties or bigger opportunities now and in the future?”

If your responses feel overly ambitious, the brain may shut them down. Check in with yourself trusting you will know what feels attainable even if in the long run. When we foresee what can become obstacles and devise potential solutions, the brain accepts these as realistic projections. This can then be reinforced with positive ‘self-talks’ and ‘team-talks’ that influence how we perceive and believe.

Mental rehearsals train our minds to process through the filter of HERO rather than one of worry or whatever the current default is. Repetition overrides the default wiring to become the new automatic response. Here’s a super HERO exercise for your team!

  • Imagine a time when you felt HERO at its greatest capacity. When did you feel the most optimistic about a challenging goal and despite how many walls you were up against, you pushed through?
  • Notice the physiological benefits when you choose hope, efficacy, resilience, or optimism. Amplify these “feel good” emotions while identifying where in the body this energy shows up such as in your heart. Anchor that feeling in so that whenever you touch that area, your inner HERO awakens.
  • Within this elevated mental state, the mind is now primed to thrive. Allow your mind to wonder onto newly discovered pathways as this may move you closer to your goal. What clarity comes forth?

A superhero has abilities that the average person does not. Choosing to take on the small stuff and the bigger issues through the lens of HERO is one such feat. Select an area in your life or workplace in which to activate HERO traits today!

Complete article first appeared in Psychology Today, by Jessica Morales Myers, CHt.