Personal Care--The Air Force Resiliency Model

Over the last few months, most of the discussion has focused on teams, building others and making yourself a better follower; during December, I want to focus on you. This is a time when we look to do for others, cook and gather with family, shop for others and generally place other people as a higher priority; I want you to take a few minutes for your own resilience. Try to look at it this way, when you go to the bank, you can’t make a withdrawal unless you have some funds in the account. Let’s get some funds stored up in your resilience account.

The Air Force started a campaign more than 15 years ago to focus on individual resilience. The effort was in response to an increased operations tempo (higher combat deployments and more work) while simultaneously dealing with a reduction in force (we had too many people for the national defense budget). I have not been able to find a more comprehensive or easily understood breakdown, so I’ll pass along what the Air Force taught me and hundreds of thousands of other Airmen. Below is a summarized compilation of lessons I have learned, been taught, read online, and gathered through other sources.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adverse situations and stressful events; it’s the ability to function in the face adversity. Resilience is NOT a mindset but rather can be created through a positive, optimistic mindset. Resilience is NOT perseverance or soldiering-on but rather developed through building self-confidence to handle certain situations. Resilience CANNOT be surged or built around an event but rather, represents the “funds” that must be deposited over time and ready to withdraw when needed. Being resilient doesn't mean you don't encounter adversity or go through difficult times, but rather you have the ability to face, withstand, and bounce back from those situations.

The Air Force recognizes four DOMAINS of resilience. These are the areas to focus your attention and efforts on to build those “funds” up for future withdrawals.

I. Mental: ability to cope with mental stressors and challenges. This is built through Self-Talk; your thoughts control your energy.

· Healthy positive thoughts

· Keep things in perspective

· Accept Change

· Keep an optimistic outlook

· Learn from the past- you will fail, you will lose, you will not always get what you want…learn from it, don’t blame the world.

II. Physical: The connection between mind and body. This includes taking part in healthy behaviors to include exercise, eating habits, sleep hygiene, and physical health. Stress is as much physical as it is mental, being physically ready can have a significant impact on how you deal with stressors.

· Foster Wellness

· Take care of your body

· Practice mindfulness (to observe your thoughts in an objective way without assigning good or bad but rather rational labels to them)

· Avoid negative outlets (red/blue news, politics, IG, FB and any other wasteful negativity)

· Get outside

· Make time for yourself and family

· Get some sleep…every night.

III. Social: placing value on relationships and networks. We’ve talked a lot about relationships and how they are often the determining factor in success. Those same networks, of strong and significant relationships, give us the social help we need when life is too big for us to handle alone. You cannot build a relationship in the middle of adversity, it must be created, cultivated, and cared for prior to the event.

· Create new relationships

· Cultivate existing relationships (focus on the ones that matter most; close friends and family, your trust circle)

· Join a group, club, or volunteer

IV. Spiritual: the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values. While spiritual has a strong religious and transcendence connotation, it also includes morals, values, and priorities. A strong belief in something greater than you, allows you prioritize decision-making, gives confidence in action, and provides peace of mind during adversity.

· Find a purpose-get involved in something you believe in, support or have a connection to; everyone needs something bigger than themselves to motivate them each day.

· Get out and help others

· Take time for self-discovery

· Reflect on your values and make a point to reinforce their importance

These are domains you can use in your personal and professional life. I think you would be hard pressed to be professionally resilient without being personally resilient and vice versa. Any person that is mentally strong, physically ready, socially grounded, and spiritually sound will be able to deal with life in a more centered and calm manner. Adversity and stress are coming…you need to prepare for it.