![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/DSC4879-300x199.jpg\")
\nMindfulness training is now a thing and will be taught in the military.<\/p>\n
\nMindfulness training is now a thing and will be taught in the military.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/Press-Office\/News-Stories\/display-news\/Article\/2354467\/mindfulness-with-murphy-a-novel-stress-reduction-initiative\/<\/a><\/p>\n Didn\u2019t we used to call this \u201cpaying attention to \u201dwhatever”? Eliminate distractions; put your full attention on what you are doing; don\u2019t tell stupid, obnoxious jokes in the surgical suite; don\u2019t spook your dental patients; look both ways before crossing the street – stuff like that. However, that does not seem to be the purpose of this training.<\/p>\n There is that part about \u201cbeing one with the Universe\u201d, but that usually applies to meditative states, sometimes found in people who are very focused on one thing at a time. That might be what is meant by \u201cmindfulness\u201d. But in this instance, when applied to the military, it seems to be what they used to term “situational awareness”, except that the military is using it to reduce stress somehow. The troops are also being told that naps are okay.<\/p>\n From the article:\u00a0\u00a0In behavioral health, mindfulness-based stress reduction training has gained increased attention in civilian and military medical settings. These programs help people improve strength and resilience by cultivating a new way of paying attention and interacting with one\u2019s experience, typically referred to as mindfulness. Although there are a variety of definitions, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the founders of the modern mindfulness movement, has emphasized that mindfulness training develops one\u2019s awareness of the present moment without judgment, openly accepting thoughts and feelings as they are, at the moment. By developing mindfulness skills, people create opportunities to experience relief from stress and engage in restorative self-care. – article<\/p>\n Now, how would it apply to the military, especially the Navy where the crew (including officers) are supposed to be 100% attentive to what they are doing? On a birdfarm, that should be obvious: not paying attention \u2013 meaning lacking the quality called \u201csituational awareness\u201d \u2013 can get you killed by being sucked into a jet engine or hit by the catapult tow line. That is an environment in which extreme stress is as common as mashed potatoes.<\/p>\n Perhaps the real issue is that some kids are not taught to pay attention to their surroundings, but allowed to wander aimlessly through life until they barely avoid getting hit by a bus.\u00a0 I have seen people walking down the street with a tablet or phone in their hands, both eyes on that instead of the sidewalk ahead, and walk right into traffic as if they’re going to the next aisle at the grocery store. And they wonder why they get robbed at gunpoint. That translates into lack of focus, more than anything else.<\/p>\n Being called on to put in long hours creates a very real degree of tension, but it’s part of being in the military. And stress is part and parcel of military training and being in the field.<\/p>\n So if this is a form of stress reduction training (and long hours without a real break are stressful), I’m all for it.\u00a0 If there are comfy chairs, sandwiches and cold drinks involved, I’m even more receptive.\u00a0 I’m suggesting that you all engage in mindfulness this weekend by watching your favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons, getting in some range time, having an outdoor backyard meat-burning ops – stuff like that – and enjoy the fine weather.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mindfulness training is now a thing and will be taught in the military. https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/Press-Office\/News-Stories\/display-news\/Article\/2354467\/mindfulness-with-murphy-a-novel-stress-reduction-initiative\/ Didn\u2019t we … Mindfulness<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":653,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[478],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-none"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=105719"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105721,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105719\/revisions\/105721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=105719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=105719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=105719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}