"Social connectivity does more for your health than quitting smoking." ~ Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) We all want to be resilient. (Right???) Resilience is built by cultivating: Self-Care Spiritual Practices Social Support Therefore, we suffer when we don’t do the following: Invest in healthy habits for ourselves Cultivate spiritual practices [...]
Research suggests that female veterans of the United States military are more likely than their male counterparts to report mental health concerns such as posttraumatic stress, depression and suicidal thoughts. The purpose of this study was to explore the interaction of service era (time period during which active duty service occurred), social support, and beliefs [...]
What a fun podcast with Guy Macpherson, PhD on The Trauma Therapist Project talking resilience and mental health! We recorded this a few weeks ago, and it's now live on his site HERE. You can also access it directly on the PodCast. There is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen Why [...]
Why practice? Specifically, why practice mediating, moving, and/or praying mindfully DAILY? Because it trains our brains during times of calm how to better respond in times of anxiety, pressure, or stress. It is like soccer practice versus the big match: we cultivate the skills and muscle memory mindfully when we have the time and space [...]
I got to spend two energizing days with the Mission Continues at the Women Veterans Leadership Summit in New Orleans, LA from April 1st to the 3rd. The intended purpose was to empower women veterans for successful transition to civilian life. And the message I heard loud and clear was the importance of finding authentic [...]
Integrate, don't isolate. Healing happens together because healing happens in the very place the initial trauma or stress occurs - in relationship. I know this might initially sound contradictory, but think about it - healing cannot happen in isolation because we are relational creatures. Of course, we often want to retreat at the very times we [...]
"Since I began teaching, I understand the principle of 'yoga off the mat' more and more every day. I teach veterans -- who tend to be survivors of anything from combat to sexual assault -- that you can apply yogic principles to all areas of your life. Service... is also about helping people live better, [...]
Resilient Leadership Retreat for OIF/OEF Veterans A quick break in my regular blogging programming to ask you to please help Just Roll With It Wellness LLC share a unique opportunity with wounded, injured, or ill veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The retreat is this March in beautiful Charleston, SC. Lodging, food, and gear are all covered, and travel [...]
Happy Friday December 11th, 2015! Today. Is. The. Day! :-) My book, Just Roll With It: 7 Battle Tested Truths for Building a Resilient Life, is now available in hardback, paperback, and kindle on Amazon.com. Whooooooo hooooo!!!!! Ok, but beyond my own personal excitement about my book finally really being ready for the world, I’m [...]
Developing, offering, and evaluating programs to cultivate resilience for military veterans and their families is work easy to love. New evaluation results are out, and we enjoyed being on a team that included the co-owners of Just Roll With It Wellness LLC, Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas & Semper Sarah Plummer Taylor, MSWc, as well as program community partner Team Red, [...]
