| How you can apply The Military's 7 Point Formula | | | | when it comes to giving commitments. Case in |
| for Survival Situations. | | | | point: In the old days when asked when, I could |
| From the U.S. Army Survival Handbook: "Your | | | | have a project completed; I would jump right to |
| mission as a soldier in a survival situation is to | | | | that tight deadline. Then unplanned interruptions |
| stay alive...You are going to experience an | | | | would occur and "Poof" I'm in crisis overload. Be |
| assortment of thoughts and emotions. These can | | | | realistic in your situational assessment and |
| work for you, or they can be your downfall. Fear, | | | | commitments. |
| anxiety, anger, frustration, guilt, depression and | | | | 4. Adopt a Positive Attitude: In a survival situation |
| loneliness are all possible reactions to the many | | | | people who most often perish say "Oh, NO, we're |
| stresses common to survival. When the survivor | | | | all going to die" Whereas people who survive say |
| cannot control these reactions in a healthy way, | | | | what is the very next step I need to take to |
| they can bring him to a standstill. This soldier | | | | survive this situation? Are you problem focused |
| experiences psychological defeat long before he | | | | or solution oriented? Do you exhibit the qualities of |
| physically succumbs." | | | | people who handle stress well, including enjoying |
| There is no doubt that our troops encounter an | | | | moments of solitude each day, using humor and |
| almost unimaginable stress level. Accordingly, | | | | play to change moods and being able to tolerate |
| developing psychological hardiness in troops | | | | frustration without falling apart? |
| remains a core component of today's military | | | | 5. Remind Yourself What is at Stake: In combat |
| training. The following 7 point formula for | | | | situations it's your life and the lives of other |
| psychological survival have stress survival lessons | | | | depending on you to do your share. Life is no |
| for civilians as well. Are you in psychological shape | | | | different. Among the qualities of those who handle |
| for handling life's sometimes stressful situations? | | | | stress well is they value life every day. |
| 1. Know yourself. Discover who you are on the | | | | 6. Train: The military has one of the best training |
| inside. The army notes the need to strengthen | | | | programs in the world using realistic simulations to |
| your stronger qualities and develop those areas | | | | prepare troops for field reality. View each day as |
| that you know are necessary to survive. In civilian | | | | a survival situation. What did you do and or/handle |
| language: Maximize your strengths and minimize | | | | well? Where and how could you have improved |
| your weaknesses. | | | | your reactions to improve the outcome? |
| 2. Anticipate Fears: The Boy Scouts slogan "Be | | | | 7. Learn Stress Management Techniques: The |
| prepared" has never been more true. Plan for life's | | | | same training used in the military (relaxation, time |
| worse case scenarios. Although an estimated | | | | management, assertiveness and cognitive |
| 92% of our fears never come true and you don't | | | | restructuring (the ability to control your view of a |
| want to become a worry wart, anticipating your | | | | situation) represent essential training for business |
| response can help you not only make better | | | | and life. If you have not yet participated in a |
| business and life decisions, it also prepares you for | | | | "Stress Management Course" you are missing out |
| needed reaction under fire. | | | | on one of life's essential survival tools. |
| 3. Be Realistic: While I'm a huge believer in "The | | | | Send us a Stress Management Technique you use |
| law of positive expectation" aka "The Secret" I've | | | | successfully and we'll send you a Go Wild! GO |
| also learned to temper my enthusiasm with a | | | | GREAT! Now to WOW Dog-Tag. Send your tip, |
| dose of reality or what the military calls an | | | | with your mailing address to Learn Stress |
| "Honest Environmental Assessment". This has | | | | Management Survival Techniques amidst the |
| many applications to both stress and time | | | | Rainforests of Costa Rica |
| management. It's a good practice to get in the | | | | (September 29 - October 6th) and (October 20 - |
| habit of "under-promising and over-delivering" | | | | 27th). |