Psychological Capital – is it time we take wellbeing seriously?

You’ve heard of financial capital, technological capital, and human capital, but what about psychological capital? Although this resource may not be as evident as the latest equipment or the monthly figures, it plays a vital role in mental health and overall wellbeing, as well as performance and success.

Please refer to the previously written articles on Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, Emotional Intelligence and Strengths, or HEROES for short. These constructs were found, through the research, to have a synergistic impact. In other words, each construct alone cultivated positive results around job satisfaction, wellbeing, engagement, and performance, but when developed together, they achieved results greater than the sum of each part (Luthans, F and Avolio, B, 2001). And the wonderful news is that these are developable skills, the seeds of which are already inside you, waiting to be nurtured and bloom. 

If improved wellbeing and a sustainable career is what you’re aiming for, investing in your psychological resources as you do your technical and intellectual resources will be beneficial. As you develop along your clinical journey, these psychological resources will help you set meaningful goals, approach them with a growth mindset, have resilience to handle the journey, maintain an optimistic outlook, intelligently use your emotions, and propel forward using your strengths. You’ve demonstrated that you can achieve what you set your mind to and excel in your field, but what about an alternative approach moving forward? A more sustainable way in which your mental health and wellbeing are protected and enhanced, instead of being the price for success?

Let’s take this further and consider the entire dental team and workplace ecosystem. Imagine the impact on your clinic if every staff member exhibited high levels of wellbeing, showed up as their best selves, collaborated through complementary strengths and contributed to a positive climate. Imagine stress levels and tension decreasing, collaboration and joy increasing; imagine satisfied patients and energised staff. Of course, nothing in life is black and white, and you exist within an external environment. Perhaps systemic and organisational change will be required, but until such time that that happens, you can equip yourself with the tools required to thrive in your environment.

A gentle reminder: The WHAT you achieve is important, but so is the HOW. Your mental health and wellbeing are crucial for your success, and it’s time to focus on them. Yes, there are endless resources out there in the external world, but there are just as many wonderful resources within you, and it’s time to develop and use them. You deserve success AND wellbeing. You deserve to flourish!

“The greatest wealth is health.” – Virgil