Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF)

Newcomers Orientation

Air Force Vision and Mission

• Vision – A thriving and resilient Air Force Community

ready to meet any challenge • Mission

– Build and sustain a thriving and resilient Air Force Community that fosters mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness

We will have the potential to change the

trajectory of an Airman’s life!

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Air Force Definition

Resilience: The ability to withstand, recover and/or grow in the face of stressors and changing demands

Meredith et al, 2011 3

Foundation for Resilience

MENTAL Awareness

Adaptability Decision Making Positive Thinking

PHYSICAL Endurance Nutrition Recovery Strength

SOCIAL Communication Connectedness Social Support

Teamwork

SPIRITUAL Core Values

Perseverance Perspective

Purpose

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Resiliency Training Skill Sets

Physical Good Listening/ACR

Spiritual Accomplishing Goals

Counting Blessings Mindfulness

ABC Meaning Making

Check Your Playbook Interpersonal Problem Solving

Balance Your Thinking/ Instant BYT

Capitalizing Strengths

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Post-traumatic growth

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Resilience Themes

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Why resilience matters

• Performance – Better able to generate ideas in response to

problem – Better decision-making

• Health – Lower blood pressure – Better sleep – Better immune functioning

• Teamwork & Leadership – More valued by team members – Better able to achieve consensus during

negotiations

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Broaden and Build Theory

• Negative emotionsimmediate survival-oriented strategies (fight-or flight)

• Positive emotionsbroaden awareness and encourage new experiences – New experiences build skills and resources – Counteract negative emotions – Increase likelihood of finding good in future events. – Encourages faster cardiovascular recovery

Frederickson & Joiner, 2002; Frederickson & Levenson, 1998; Isen & colleagues, 1997, 1990 9

The Good News

• Scientific research has demonstrated that people can learn to be resilient: – Resilience can be taught – Resilience is reinforced by those around us – Resilience can be practiced – Focus on positive coping skills and self-regulation

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Do you have a Fixed or Growth Mindset?

Dweck, 2006 11

Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

Intelligence/Talent: static Intelligence/Talent: can be developed

Avoids challenges Embraces challenges

Sees effort as useless Sees effort as path to success

Ignores feedback Learns from feedback

Disregards new information/approaches

Open to new information/approaches

New science on the brain

• Training and practice can actually change our physical brain structure.

• A study of London cab drivers found the part of the brain responsible for memory and spatial navigation was bigger compared to non-taxi drivers

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Not just movie magic…

• Resilience isn’t just movie magic. What qualities do these people have?

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Famous Failures

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Buffer for challenges

• Being resilient doesn’t mean you won’t experience adversity.

• Resilience can buffer the adverse effects of stressful life events.

• Individuals who use a broader range of coping strategies experience less distress from stressful life events.

Bun Lam & McBride-Change, 2007 15

Discussion

• Have you had an experience in your life when you had to rely on resilience to overcome adversity?

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1. Take care of yourself 2. Take care of those

around you

Be a Wingman

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What is a Wingman?

“The wingman is absolutely indispensable. I look after the wingman. The wingman looks after me. It's another set of eyes protecting you. That’s the defensive part. Offensively, it gives you a lot more firepower. We work together. We fight together. The wingman knows what his responsibilities are, and knows what mine are. Wars are not won by individuals. They're won by teams.”

Col Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, USAF 28 victories in WWII and 6.5 MiGs over Korea

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Wingman Program

• Units conduct bi-annual .50 day events to build unit moral and foster the “Wingman Concept”

• Resilience training will be offered at each Wingman Day/Comprehensive Airman Fitness event

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Your Role

As a Wingman :

• Support our mission by supporting your Wingmen • Wingmen value healthy relationships • Wingmen care about each other’s well-being Live the Wingman Culture: • Foster an environment of self care and peer support • Encourage development of peer support networks • Be the #1 Wingman for your people

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Air Force Values

• First Core Value: Integrity First • Second Core Value: Service Before Self • Third Core Value: Excellence in all we do

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Counting Blessings

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Goal: Counting Blessings

The goal of Counting Blessings is to cultivate gratitude, build optimism and positive thinking, help you cope with daily hassles and stress, and improve quality of life.

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What is gratitude?

• Gratitude: “A sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life”

• Our focus is often on the things that went wrong—Counting Blessings is an opportunity to think about what went right.

Emmons, 2007 24

Undoing effect of negative emotions

Broaden and Build Theory, Frederickson & Joiner, 2002

•Gratitude and other positive emotions can undo the effects of negative emotions

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Why gratitude matters

• Promotes optimism and positive thinking • Increases self-worth and self-esteem • Helps you cope with daily hassles, stress and

trauma • Improves health and sleep • Contributes to progress on goals • Helps build social relationships • Gratitude has also been linked to decreased

likelihood of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

(Emmons, 2007) 26

Counting Blessings

• Write down 3 things that went well that day – Events that happened – Something you are good at – Goals you have achieved – Individuals who care for you

• Why did it go well? How did you or others in your life contribute to the good thing that happened?

• Keep a written journal and do it on a regular basis

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Personal Reflection

• Name three things blessings/things that have gone well in the last 24 hours.

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Do I have to write everyday?

• Research has found that some people benefit more from Counting Blessings if they reduce the frequency of the activity – For some people, Counting Blessings everyday day

can feel like a chore, rather than something to increase optimism.

– Find the right fit for you…but make sure you do it on a regular basis, not just when you feel stress.

Lyubomirsky, 2007 29

Counting Blessings

• When you are first learning the skill, Count Your Blessings everyday!

• Don’t stop Counting Blessings, but vary the frequency with which you do it until you get a sense of what works for you.

• Find the right fit for you, but try to do it at least once a week.

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Review Counting Blessings

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Counting Blessings

• GOAL: − To cultivate gratitude, build optimism and positive

thinking, help you cope with daily hassles and stress, and improve quality of life.

• When to use it:

− Set aside time on a regular basis − In moments of stress—to counter negative thinking

• How to use it:

Write down at least 3 things that went well Reflect on each item. Why did it go well? How did you or others in your life contribute to this

blessing?

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ABC

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Goal of ABC

• The goal of ABC is to be aware of how your brain drives your reactions to an event.

• Use ABC to determine if your brain is helping you: – Work towards your goals – Act based on your values – Improve your performance – Strengthen your relationship

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Skill: ABC

• Describe the activating event. Be specific and objective.

• Record your brain’s interpretation and the consequences—list your: – Emotional reactions – Physical reactions and behaviors

• Ask: Did my reactions interfere with my performance, goals, or values?

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ABC’s

Adapted from Ellis, 1962; 1991

ActivatingEvent

Emotional Reactions

Physical Reactions/Behavior

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Bad Boys

Biker Video

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Slow Down

There are times when we need to slow the process down and analyze how our brain is driving our reactions.

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Internal Horn

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Review ABC

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Activating event - Brain – Consequences • GOAL:

• The goal of ABC is to be aware of how • your brain drives reactions to an event.

• When to use it: 1. When you need a better understanding of why you reacted to an event in

a certain way. 2. When you don’t think your reactions were helpful in the situation. 3. In the moment, use it to slow down and ensure your reactions don’t

interfere with your performance, goals, or values

• How to use it: Describe the activating event. Be specific and objective. Record your brain’s interpretation and the consequences—emotional

reactions and physical/behaviors. Ask: Did my reactions interfere with my performance, goals, or values?

A B C

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Good Listening & Active Constructive

Responding

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Goal of Good Listening and ACR

• The goal of Good Listening is to make someone feel safe in speaking to you as a confidante.

• Active Constructive Responding aims to express involvement, excitement, or enthusiasm about another person’s positive event.

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Good Listening & Active Constructive Responding

MENTAL Awareness

Adaptability Decision Making Positive Thinking

PHYSICAL Endurance Nutrition Recovery Strength

SOCIAL Communication Connectedness Social Support

Teamwork

SPIRITUAL Core Values

Perseverance Perspective

Purpose

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Attend with Genuine Interest

Source: Cacioppo, Reis, & Zautra, 2011

Passive Listening Active Listening

Acting Focused Being Focused

Providing No Feedback Providing Feedback

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Be Responsive

• How you respond to others can either build or undermine relationships

• Remember: Sometimes listening and understanding are more important than solving

• Ask what kind of support they want in that moment

Jacobson & Margolin, 1979 48

Listening vs Solving

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Care About the Other Person…

• …and try to understand their perspective. • You don’t have to be a cheerleader—just show

some enthusiasm and care for the other person

• Remember: You may not care much about the topic, but you do care about the person!

Source: Cacioppo, Reis, & Zautra, 2011; Gable & Reid, 2010 50

Encourage the Person to Say More…

• …and to feel safe in speaking to you as a confidante.

• Ask open ended questions

Source: Cacioppo, Reis, & Zautra, 2011 52

Date Night

• Sheldon Video

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Resources

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