In my coaching on mental toughness and personal leadership, I often work with clients on building habits that support resilience and help navigate life’s challenges. Substance use, however, is a common struggle that can disrupt these positive habits. While building mental resilience is a journey, understanding how certain habits affect our mindset is the first step toward positive change. Here’s how substance use can impact mental toughness and ways to support a resilient mindset.
Substance Use and Mental Toughness
Substance use can challenge our ability to develop mental toughness by impacting cognitive function, emotional regulation, and behavioural control. When substance use affects the brain’s structure and function, our ability to manage stress, overcome challenges, and stay adaptable may be compromised.
How Substance Use Affects the 4C’s of Mental Toughness
Each of the MTQ Plus framework’s 4C’s (Challenge, Commitment, Control, and Confidence) highlights areas that substance use can influence. Understanding these impacts can help us identify areas for growth and recovery.
Challenge
Substance use may make it harder to see challenges as opportunities. When habits of avoidance form, it can be tempting to use substances as a way to sidestep difficult situations, making it harder to face challenges directly.
Moving Forward: Recognize small wins when you choose to engage with challenges. Over time, this can help shift the focus from avoidance to positive action.
Commitment
Substance use can interfere with our ability to stay dedicated to goals and responsibilities. It can create cycles that take attention away from the things that matter most.
Moving Forward: Setting small, achievable goals can help rebuild commitment over time, providing a path to stay motivated and on course.
Emotional Control
Managing emotions is essential for resilience, but substance use can make this harder by impacting the brain’s regulation systems, often leading to mood swings and difficulty handling stress.
Moving Forward: Practicing simple emotional regulation techniques like deep breathing can offer moments of calm and build a foundation for managing emotions without relying on substances.
Life Control
Feeling in control of one’s life can feel difficult when substance use creates feelings of powerlessness. This can impact how we perceive our ability to influence our circumstances.
Moving Forward: Emphasizing what you can control—even small actions—helps gradually build a sense of agency over your life and choices.
Confidence in Abilities
Substance use can diminish self-confidence and self-efficacy over time, making it hard to trust in one’s own abilities.
Moving Forward: Reflect on past achievements, even small ones, to reinforce your strengths. Confidence can be rebuilt, step by step.
Rediscovering Mental Resilience
The effects of substance use on mental toughness are not irreversible. With support, treatment, and the brain’s natural ability to adapt through neuroplasticity, it’s possible to rebuild resilience. Positive change is achievable, and each step toward healthier habits strengthens the foundation of mental toughness.
