Resiliency Real Time Resilience

Mission and Vision Mission: Implements the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, identifies and trains Master Resiliency Trainers (MRTs) and commences annual resiliency sustainment training in order to enhance overall performance, improve unit level readiness, and sustain a balanced, healthy, campaign capable, expeditionary army End state: Will improve unit readiness and performance by implementing the Resiliency Training program. The end state will see a more balanced, healthy and capable Brigade Combat Team MRT Instructor: Ask a participant to read the mission statement. Ask for questions regarding the purpose of the course. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Task, Conditions, Standards Task: Use Real Time Resilience to shut down counterproductive thinking to enable greater concentration and focus on the task at hand. Conditions: Within a classroom environment and 90 minute timeframe. Standards: Understand that optimism is a primary target of Real Time Resilience MRT Instructor: 1. Talk about the meaning of optimism. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Resilience MRT Instructor: Introduce Real Time Resilience. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Bottom Line Up Front Real-time Resilience helps to build Optimism. Real-time Resilience involves proving your thoughts false with evidence, thinking optimistically, and putting the situation in perspective. Real-time Resilience is the skill of fighting back against counterproductive thoughts as soon as they occur so you remain task-focused and motivated. MRT Instructor: Review the B.L.U.F. statements. Ask for questions/comments. Make clear that RTR is an internal skill to challenge one’s own counterproductive thinking. Key Points: Real-time Resilience helps to build Optimism. Real-time Resilience allows you to fight back against negative thoughts with evidence, thinking optimistically, and putting the situation in perspective. Real-time Resilience allows you to stay task-focused and motivated. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Resilience Challenge counterproductive thoughts as they occur. Use it to get back to the task at hand. Use it to prepare for an anticipated Activating Event. This is an internal skill. This is not to be used out loud. This is not a tool for insubordination. MRT Instructor: Point out that this is a skill to get “back in the game” when counterproductive thoughts are interfering with the task at hand. Stress that this skill is to used to lower anxiety, anger, or other strong emotions enough so that one can perform well under tough circumstances. Reinforce that this is an internal skill to challenge one’s own negative thinking and not to argue back against others. Key Points: Real-time Resilience helps you to stop counterproductive thinking so you can get back to the task at hand. Real-time Resilience is an internal skill, not to be used to argue back against others. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Applications When will Real-time Resilience be particularly helpful to you as a Soldier and as a family member? When would you NOT want to use Real-time Resilience? MRT Instructor: Discuss the application ideas generated by the participants. Remind participants to record application ideas on the Applications page in the Participant Guide. Point out that participants might not want to use Real-time Resilience if they need to address something more thoroughly, or if an issue keeps coming back. In those situations, Problem Solving or Detect Icebergs might be necessary. Emphasize that speed is not always required; sometimes slowing down and thinking the situation through is necessary. Note that Real-time Resilience is used when there is little time and you need to focus on the task at hand. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Advanced Level Used when what you are saying to yourself is counterproductive Advanced level is accurate and fast. Advanced level uses: Evidence Optimism Put It In Perspective Advanced level requires practice, practice, practice! MRT Instructor: Remind participants that this skill takes practice and that you will model it for them. Tell the participants that you will use Evidence, Optimism, and PIIP to challenge negative thoughts that are preventing you from getting a job done and being focused. For example: Thought 1: I’m not prepared to teach today’s MRT unit. RTR response (Evidence): That’s not true because I spent a couple hours reviewing the material for today and practiced the activities. Thought 2: The participants won’t understand any the material. RTR response (Optimism): The participants might not know how to use this particular skill immediately, but they will understand most of the material with practice. Thought 3: The participants will ask me questions I can’t answer. RTR response (Put It In Perspective): If that happens, I’ll admit that I don’t know and I can get back to them with an answer when we have our next lesson. Note that you do not necessarily need to use the three sentence starters during the Real-time Resilience Advanced Level Demonstration. You will teach the pitfalls and sentence starters after this demonstration. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Advanced Level: Demonstration MRT Instructor: Tell participants that they will act like the negative part of your brain by saying negative thoughts that you might think in the heat of the moment. Underscore that the thoughts should be negative and pessimistic, but this is not an opportunity to be insulting. Set parameters for the negative thoughts: Participants should not bring up your religion, race, gender, or anything that could be construed as sexual harassment. If they do, stop the exercise and remind them of the rules. If the participants do not follow the parameters, it is your responsibility to end the activity. Set up a scenario for them to work with: You are about to teach your first MRT class and you want it to be a great success. You don’t feel as prepared as you’d like, but you need to start the lesson in three minutes. Instruct participants to raise their hand when they want to say a negative thought, and tell them that you will call on them to say the thought. Tell them to keep going until you say stop. Point out that you want to keep doing this for at least two minutes because when a person is in the negative thinking mode, the thoughts tend to come quickly and do not stop immediately. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Resilience Advanced Level Demo Write down three words that capture what you just saw. MRT Instructor: Refer participants to the Participant Guide. After three or four minutes of Real-time Resilience Advanced Level Demonstration, ask participants to think about what they just saw. Review the three words and comment on how the words they share match or differ from your experience. Underscore the words that highlight that RTR builds confidence, helps you to calm down, and increases focus. MRT Activity Instructions: Participants write down three words that best describe the modeling of the skill (MRT Participant Guide, page 77) Participants read what they wrote to the large group. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Real-time Pitfalls Common mistakes made while learning the skill Dismissing the grain of truth One time, one thing Minimizing the situation The situation does matter Rationalizing or excusing one’s contribution to a problem Take responsibility MRT Instructor: Teach the three pitfalls of RTR and the statement to help avoid that pitfall. “One time, one thing” reminds you to acknowledge what is true without exaggerating it or blowing it out of proportion. “The situation does matter” reminds you that you care about the event and you can keep it in perspective. “Take responsibility” reminds you to own up to your contribution to the situation without criticizing yourself. Ask if participants heard any pitfalls during the demo. Emphasize that pitfalls are problematic because they keep us from challenging counterproductive thoughts. Remind participants to use the “gut check” (we feel the power of the response in our bodies) to determine whether they’re falling into a pitfall. Sometimes, what may sound like a pitfall to others passes the “gut check” for the individual using the skill. Key Points: When learning RTR there are three common mistakes people make (dismissing, minimizing, rationalizing). These mistakes can be minimized by reminding self: one time, one thing; the situation does matter, take responsibility. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Skill Building through Sentence Starters Use evidence to prove the thought is false. That’s not (completely) true because…. Generate a more optimistic way of seeing it. A more optimistic way of seeing this is... Put It In Perspective. The most likely implication is… and I can… MRT Instructor: Review each of the three sentence starters and give an example of each. Pick three negative thoughts and demonstrate the sentence starter. Use the situation below or one of your own. Activating Event: I make a decision that negatively affects my Soldiers. Thought 1: They will never trust me again. RTR response: That’s not completely true because I acted quickly once I realized my error, I took responsibility, and I demonstrated leadership by correcting the situation. Thought 2: My CO will think I’m useless. RTR response: A more optimistic way of seeing this is that he’ll understand that I corrected the situation and will not make the mistake again. Thought 3: I’m never going to get promoted. RTR response: The most likely implication is that I’ll need to work extra hard to solidify my reputation and I can talk with my 1SG to get his advice. Key Points: The three sentence starters help structure your thinking so that you craft effective Real-time Resilience responses. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

When would you use Real-time Resilience? What are examples of situations in which RTR will be most helpful to you? You were just chewed out by a Drill Sergeant and now you have to go back and complete a mission. You are new to combative and you have some self-doubt. It’s your turn. You’ve just read an upsetting e-mail from home, and you have to get ready for First Formation. You need to be calm. You’re about to go in front of the promotion board. You need to get to sleep. (Norton had a mission to do the next day.) You’re making the transition from work to home. You’ve got road rage. MRT Instructor: Refer participants to the Participant Guide. Encourage participants to use this skill when their “top of mind” thoughts or internal radio station is preventing them from performing at their best when dealing with an immediate task at hand. MRT Activity Instructions: Participants write down examples of situations in which Real-time Resilience would be most helpful to them. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Key Principles Practice: Real-time Resilience takes ongoing practice. Accuracy over speed: Focus on accuracy and passing the gut test, not speed. Learning curve: The pitfalls are common and part of the learning process. Do-over: When you hear a pitfall, pause and generate a stronger response. Optimism: Real-time Resilience builds all of the MRT competencies; Optimism is a primary target. MRT Instructor: Review the key principles. Ask for questions or comments. Clarify any misconceptions. Ask participants if there are any other key principles they would add to the list. Emphasize the importance of the practice piece of this. Key Points: Real-time Resilience helps to build the MRT competency of Optimism. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

RTR Practice Activities: Practice RTR with your group. Practice RTR with a partner. MRT Instructor: Describe the activities for Real-time Resilience. Tell participants that Real-time Resilience is a very powerful skill and requires practice. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Group Practice You give me the negative thought. I will model a good use of the skill by fighting each of the negative thoughts with one of the sentence starters, or I will model a pitfall. You will help me craft a stronger response if my initial response is weak or includes a pitfall. Total recommended time: 20 mins Setup: 5 mins Practice: 10 mins Debrief: 5 mins MRT Instructor: Ask participants to provide negative thoughts so that you can model the sentence starters and the pitfalls. Name a situation in which you’ll use the skill and have them generate negative thoughts related to that situation. If the group is small, they can take turns saying negative thoughts without standing up. If the group is large, use the same setup as the first demonstration. After each RTR response you make, ask the group whether it was a good use of the skill or a pitfall. Ask them to name which strategy you use (Evidence, Optimism, PIIP) or which pitfall they heard (dismissing, minimizing, rationalizing). If there is disagreement, discuss. MRT Activity Instructions: In the group, participants shout out negative thoughts the trainer might have. Participants code the trainer’s response as a good use of the skill through the sentence starters or as a pitfall. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Partner Practice Try to: Avoid: Use Evidence to prove the thought is false. Generate a more optimistic way of seeing it. Put It In Perspective. Avoid: Dismissing the grain of truth. Minimizing the situation. Rationalizing or excusing one’s contribution to a problem. Total recommended time: 60 mins Setup: 5 mins Practice: 40 mins Debrief: 15 mins MRT Instructor: Refer participants to the Participant Guide. Remind participants to take their time with this skill when learning it. If their response is weak and doesn’t pass the “gut check,” they should craft stronger responses. MRT Activity Instructions: Participants work with partners. Participants list common counterproductive thoughts they have in a particular situation, and then their partner reads negative thoughts so that the participants can practice the skill of Real-time Resilience (MRT Participant Guide, pages 78-79) Participants code their responses as Evidence, Optimism, Put It In Perspective, or pitfall (MRT Participant Guide, pages 78-79) POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Debrief What did you learn from practicing this skill? What was difficult for you in practicing this skill? Which sentence starter was most effective for you in challenging your thoughts? MRT Instructor: Ask participants what they learned through this activity and record critical points on a flip chart. Ask participants which sentence starter was most effective for them and which pitfall was the most difficult to avoid. Tell them that they don’t have to use each of the three strategies (Evidence, Optimism, PIIP) if they find one is most effective. Remind them of the statements that will help them avoid the pitfalls (one time, one thing; the situation does matter; take responsibility). Ask participants what was most challenging about RTR and discuss. Reiterate that RTR becomes easier with practice. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Check on Learning What is the skill? Real-time Resilience (RTR) is an internal skill to shut down counterproductive thinking and build motivation and focus on the task at hand. When do I use it? Use RTR when your thoughts are distracting you from an immediate goal or task. How do I use it? Respond to your negative thoughts in the heat of the moment by providing evidence against the thought, by generating a more optimistic way of seeing it, or by Putting the thought In Perspective. Watch out for common pitfalls. MRT Instructor: Ask each question. (Note that the slide builds.) Check to make sure the participants are giving accurate answers. Clarify misconceptions as necessary. POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847

Resiliency Questions

AAR What went well 1. 2. 3. What can be improved MRT Instructor: Conduct the After Action Review. Ensure when training ends Soldiers Sound off with the motto for the quarter. “Army Strong” As of 25 Oct 10 POC: ASC MRT, DSN 793-4847