GRIT: When Toughness

is Wellness
OBJECTIVES
 At the end of this module, students
are expected to:

•be knowledgeable of the concept of grit and its

components.
•start developing and appreciating grit and mental
well-being.
• demonstrate and apply grit in the different areas of
their lives.
Some Questions of Interest
•How come people of the same intelligence differ
with regards to their achievements?
•Why are some more successful than others?
What could be the factors affecting this
difference?
•Could one of these factors also contribute to
how these differences affect one’s well-being?
“Grit involves working strenuously toward
challenges, maintaining effort and
What is
GRIT?
interest over years despite failure,
adversity, and plateaus in progress. The
gritty individual approaches
achievement as a marathon; his or her
advantage is stamina. While
disappointment or boredom may lead
most people to change trajectory, the
gritty individual stays the course"
(Duckworth et al, 2007).
5=Very much like me 2=Not much like me
4= Mostly like me 1=Not like me at all
3=Somewhat like me

1.New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous

ones. *
2. Setbacks don’t discourage me.
3 I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a
short time but later lost interest. *
4. I am a hard worker.
5=Very much like me 2=Not much like me
4= Mostly like me 1=Not like me at all
3=Somewhat like me

5. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different

one.*
6. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that
take more than a few months to complete.*
7. I finish whatever I begin.
8. am diligent.
Scoring:
1. For questions 2, 4, 7 and 8 assign the following points: 5 = Very
much like me 4 = Mostly like me 3 = Somewhat like me 2 = Not
much like me 1 = Not like me at all
2. For questions 1, 3, 5 and 6 assign the following points: 1 = Very
much like me 2 = Mostly like me 3 = Somewhat like me 4 = Not
much like me 5 = Not like me at all
Add up all the points and divide by 8. The maximum score on this
scale is 5 (extremely gritty), and the lowest score on this scale is 1
(not at all gritty).
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSETS OF GRITTY
PEOPLE
Psychological Assets of Gritty
People
1. Interest: passion begins with intrinsically enjoying what you
do

2. Practice: daily discipline of trying to do things better than

you did yesterday

3. Purpose: conviction that your work matters.

4. Hope: learn to keep going even when things are difficult
Interests are not discovered through introspection.

Interests thrive when there are encouraging

supporters.

We need encouragement and freedom to figure out

what we enjoy.
•More time on task and better time on task.
•Strive to improve specific weaknesses.
Requirements of Deliberate Practice
1. clearly defined stretch goal.
2. Full concentration and effort
3. Immediate and informative feedback
4. Repetition with reflection and refinement

*make it a habit
*change the way you experience it
•The intention to contribute to
the well-being of others.
“Fall seven, rise eight.”
• Expectation that your own efforts can improve your
future.
• Role of growth mindset

Growth mindset optimistic perseverance

behavior over adversity
Teaching Yourself Hope
•Update your beliefs
abut talent and
intelligence.
•Practice optimistic self-
talk
•Ask for a helping hand.
What is MENTAL HEALTH?
• According to the WHO
(World Health Organization), mental
health is: "... a state of well-being in
which the individual realizes his or
her own abilities, can cope with the
normal stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully, and is
able to make a contribution to his or
her community."
RESEARCHES ON GRIT
AND MENTAL HEALTH
 FINDINGS
• Increased self-control, better mental well-being, life
satisfaction, feelings of worth, resilience and growth
mindset and lower levels of perceived stress were
associated with higher levels of grit. In addition, grittier
individuals believe that their skills and abilities will
improve with hard work. (Kannangara, et al., 2018)
• Lower grit levels were found among University students
with self-reported anxiety and depression. (Tuckwiller &
Dardick, 2018)
• In a study conducted in the Philippines, it was found
that there was a negative relationship between grit and
depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition, Gritty
individuals were also found to be more likely to realize
that life is meaningful, and tend to maintain
perseverance and passion in order to achieve their
long-term goals. (Masumari, et al., 2018)
QUICK SHARING
•Based on our discussion about what grit is, do you
agree with the results that you got? Why or why not?
•What did you feel while doing the activity?
•After knowing the meaning of grit, can you
remember a time in your life when you manifested
grit? (sharing)
•How about a time when you failed to manifest grit?
•Now that you have an idea of how gritty you are,
what can you do to maintain or improve it?
DEVELOPING GRIT
1. Positive
self-talk
(Fixed
Mindset vs.
Growth
Mindset)
- “I am not good at this.”
“I am not good at this yet. But I will
Fixed vs.
learn.”
- “This is too hard.”
Growth
“This will require effort and finding a
great strategy.”
Mindset
- “I won’t try because I might fail.”
“If I fail, I can try again and improve
in the process.”
“I am brave enough to try.”
- “I give up.”
“I will succeed if I put forth effort.”
 2. Positive
attitude and
persistence
 3. Start
solving
smaller
problems
first
 4. Reward
yourself for
hard work
and
delayed
gratification
5.Acknowledge
and work on
your
strengths.
 6. Strive to
improve
specific
weaknesses
7. Know the
why’s
before the
what of a
particular
task.
 8. Always
remember that
even if there are
setbacks, these
shouldn’t stop
you from trying
again.
INTEGRATION
My Growth Mindset Statements

I can change my MINDSET with my WORDS

Starting strong is
easy, finishing
strong is another.
References

Duckworth, A. L., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long- Term
Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1087-1101.
Duckworth, A., & Quinn, P. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale
(GritS). Journal of Personality Assessment, 166-174.
Joelson, R. B. (2017, April 20). Hardiness and Grit. Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moments-matter/201704/hardiness-and-
grit
Kannangara, C. S., Allen, R. E., Waugh, G., Nahar, N., Khan, S. Z., Rogerson, S., & Carson,
J. (2018). All That Glitters Is Not Grit: Three Studies of Grit University Students. Frontiers in
Psychology, 1-14.
Masumari, P. M., Tangmunkongvorakul, A., Srithanaviboonchai, K., Techasrivichien, T.,
Suguimoto, P., Ono-Kihara, M., & Kihara, M. (2018). Grit is associated with lower level of
depression and anxiety among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A cross-
sectional study. PLOS One, 1-16.
Tuckwiller, B., & Dardick, W. R. (2018). Mindset, Grit, Optimist, Pessimism, and Life
Statisfaction in University Students with and without Anxiety and/or Depression. Journal
of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, 32-48.
Zhang, M. X., Mou, N. L., Tong, K. K., & Wu, A. M. (2018). Investigation of the Effects of
Purpose in Life, Grit, Gratitude, and School Belonging on Mental Distress among
Chinese Emerging Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health, 1-12.