By: Maria McConville, MS, RDN, CPT
I’ve been a dietitian for a long time. I was a dietitian in the Army, and now I’m an Army spouse and mother. Like all military families, our family knows about change. And disruption. And the uncertainty associated with moving often. And I thought I dealt with the challenges of military life pretty well.
In 2011, I learned about the Master Resilience Training (MRT) program for Soldiers and was blown away by the concepts and skills surrounding resilience that I never knew had a name. I felt like I had just discovered a treasure chest that needed to be opened and thought, “We spouses need these tools too.” Working closely with the MRT program manager, I helped facilitate the pilot program for Spouse Master Resilience Trainers (SMRT). The Army later rolled out the MRT and SMRT programs at all installations.
Military families greatly benefit from understanding resilience, building mental toughness, and strengthening relationships by learning important skills to help them perform at their best. Use the tips below to optimize your performance.
- Hunt the good stuff
- Have crucial and effective conversations
- Solve problems
- Create a positive mindset
- Put things in perspective
- Set SMART goals
As a dietitian, I reap the benefits of resilience training as I’m able to help empower my patients and clients to use resiliency skills to take control of their health and wellness. I guide them through a process of setting goals to become the best version of themselves.
When I’m personally feeling stuck or discouraged, I ask myself if I’m handling adversity with integrity and grace. This is my favorite definition of resilience: handling adversity with integrity and grace.
In 2020, we’re definitely experiencing adversity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, I am amazed and delighted to say that through the chaos, I see integrity and grace. And again, I’m (happily) blown away.
About the Author
Maria McConville is a Senior Nutrition Health Educator for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
