Commit to a daily mindfulness practice, such as mindfulness of breathing, for 15-20 minutes. This involves sitting in an upright, comfortable posture, paying attention to breath sensations, and gently returning your mind when it wanders, which can profoundly improve your presence and reduce angst.
Dedicate time daily to mental fitness, similar to how physical fitness is prioritized. This can involve short meditation sessions or mindful walks, which helps manage stress, improve decision-making, and enhance overall well-being.
Implement mindfulness training before entering high-stress situations or periods (e.g., combat deployment, exam finals). This proactive approach helps to protect against the normal decline in attention and mood, allowing you to handle trauma better and reduce post-traumatic stress.
When engaging in mindfulness training, prioritize actual practice over didactic information about its benefits. Studies show that direct engagement with the practice, even for a limited time (e.g., 8 hours), leads to significant stability in attention, unlike just learning about it.
Integrate short pauses, reflection, or mindful walks into your busy day, especially when feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. This counteracts the urge to multitask and can lead to greater efficiency and better decision-making.
Pay attention to early signs of stress buildup, such as increased irritability or anger over minor issues, and proactively deal with them. This prevents minor stressors from escalating into more significant problems or disorders.
Engage in writing as a therapeutic tool to process difficult emotions and honor experiences. This can be a powerful way to let go of emotional burdens and gain perspective.
When introducing mindfulness or similar practices to a specific group, ensure the trainers can relate to the participants’ culture and context. This approach, like using Army sports psychologists for soldiers, enhances appreciation, follow-through, and benefits from the training.
If using mindfulness apps, look for those that incorporate some form of human coaching or are bookended by in-person sessions. App-only approaches often show no significant difference from other apps or doing nothing, highlighting the importance of human interaction for accountability and guidance.
Re-evaluate the belief that multitasking leads to effectiveness, especially in complex environments. Instead, embrace taking pauses and engaging in reflection to achieve tasks more efficiently and with greater focus.
When introducing new or unconventional practices, such as mindfulness, lead with scientific evidence to build credibility and conviction. This helps overcome initial skepticism and encourages adoption.
Recognize that compassion and understanding can be more powerful and effective strategic tools than the overuse of force, especially in complex situations. Applying force incorrectly can backfire by building sympathy for adversaries.
Avoid tunnel vision on immediate adversaries and instead consider the broader, more complex systemic threats or challenges. This wider perspective allows for more effective and sustainable solutions.
Advocate for and integrate mental fitness training, like mindfulness, into foundational training programs for high-stress professions (e.g., military basic training). This can reduce stress from the outset and build essential coping skills.
Consider introducing mindfulness through indirect channels, such as offering training to family members (e.g., military spouses). This can create a ‘Trojan horse’ effect, where benefits observed by family members lead to interest and adoption by the primary target group.
Maintain a critical perspective on the science of mindfulness, acknowledging that cultural momentum sometimes outpaces scientific rigor. Value studies that report no benefits or even negative effects, as these contribute to a more accurate and balanced understanding of its efficacy.