Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) Newcomers Orientation Air - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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 emotionsimmediate survival-
• riented strategies (fight-or flight)
• Positive emotionsbroaden 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
• ur 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
• ther positive

emotions can undo the effects

• f 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

• n 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
• nce 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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ABC

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Goal of ABC

• The goal of ABC is to be aware of how

your brain drives your reactions to an event.

• Use ABC 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: ABC

• Describe the activating event. Be specific and
• bjective.
• 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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ABC’s

Adapted from Ellis, 1962; 1991

Activating Event

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 ABC

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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
• r 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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