fbinaa_apr-jun-2020-Press-digital

STAYING ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

John Van Vorst

The Road Towards Resilience

W ith the establishment of the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice , examining and understanding the threats to law enforcement officers’ health and safety is now a national priority. The 2020 IACP Officer Safety and Wellness Symposium convened to aid in the development of comprehensive officer wellness strategies and programs. Overwhelmingly, increasing officer resilience through mental skills training was emphasized as a critical need and, for all intents and purposes, resilience supplants the term “mental health”. To support this vitally important goal, future columns will attempt to bridge the gap between our physical performance pillars (fitness/movement training, nutrition and recovery strategies) and cognitive performance. After all, the foundation of peak physical performance overall health and well-being. WHAT IS RESILIENCE? Resilience is the quality of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress (source: APA Help Center). Resilience is exhibited by facing all of life’s challenges and difficulties while staying on task, functioning at a high level and remaining optimistic. Most importantly, resilience is not simply a trait you must be born with. It’s a combination of your thoughts, actions and behaviors which can be learned and improved through deliberate practice. WHAT ARE THE HALLMARKS OF RESILIENT PEOPLE? Resilient people make realistic plans, take the required steps to carry them out and exhibit grit by sustaining interest and effort to push forward. They maintain a positive self-view and have confidence in their strengths and abilities. They are skilled communicators and problem-solvers. They are also adept at managing strong feelings and emotions (a component of emotional intelligence). Lastly, they view themselves as fighters rather than victims and handle difficulties in ways to promote strength and growth.

“Life doesn’t get any easier or more forgiving. We get stronger and more resilient.” – Steve Maraboli

HOW CAN WE USE STRESSFUL EVENTS TO BUILD RESILIENCE? According to mental performance coach Dr. Nicole Detling , do what makes SENS . The first “S” is for sleep, the most powerful recovery tool at your disposal. Practice good sleep hygiene we’ve addressed here previously by committing to a regular schedule, giving yourself a 7.5-hour sleep opportunity, establishing a wind-down routine before bed and wake at a consistent time. “E” is for exercise, but it doesn’t have to involve high-intensity intervals or max-effort strength training. Walking briskly enough to modestly raise your heart rate can help here. “N” is of course for nutrition, with an extra emphasis on immune system support including oily fish, veggies, citrus fruits and nuts/seeds. The other “S” is actually the most challenging and deals with stress management. Dr. Detling encourages people to “embrace the suck, but don’t get stuck in the suck”. Re-frame your thoughts to find the opportunity for growth in every challenge and difficulty you face, because you don’t have to like it but you do have to accept it. Focus on ways, no matter how small, to tackle the problem and take the necessary steps to improve the situation. Control the controllables. Lean on the people who trust and support you, and the FBI National Academy provides an amazing social support network to be tapped into. RESILIENCE SKILL-BUILDER: CONNECT WITH YOUR CORE VALUES Research has shown highly-resilient people are living authentically and well-connected to their personal values, enabling them to better manage stress. Conversely, people who

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