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E-book Positive Psychology in the Military
Functionally fit1 leaders are likely to be more effective than leaders struggling with personal issues that may interfere with professional competence, critical decision making and genuine care and concern for soldiers under their command They are those leaders who are not just physically fit, but mentally robust as well with sound psychological health to endure highly stressful and demanding military situations To always ensure the functional fitness of troops for operational readiness and mission effectiveness, leaders need to be functionally fit and be able to take care of themselves first through the ‘thick and thin of combat’2 This implies that leaders possess good cognitive abilities and personal awareness along with high self-regulation skills for regular introspection and reflection on one’s own areas of improvement3Executive functions4 refer to aspects of cognition that are called for in situations when brain and behavior cannot rely on automatic responsesThey describe interrelated cognitive abilities that are activated when one must intentionally or deliberately process and retain information, manage, and integrate this information, and resolve competing or discrepant stimulus representations and response options In other words, these cognitive abilities are important for military leaders to help them organize information, plan and problem solve Furthermore, executive functions orchestrate the thoughts and actions necessary for goal-directed behavior that allows for purposeful engagement with the environment, even under conditions of duress As such, they are aspects of the psychological ability that assists individuals in self-regulation and self-controlThis chapter focuses on self-regulation initiatives including optimal self-care to ensure functional fitness especially in operations that require military leaders to show courage First, we define concepts related to functional fitness in the military as well as discuss the idea of self-regulation and its importance to military leaders Second, we discuss the importance of holistic health, which includes physical and mental components like self-care. We argue that self-care provides structure and meaning to one’s personal and professional life, both of which interact, impact, and complement each other Third, we discuss various dimensions of self–regulation including self-awareness, self–exploration, relaxation, meditation, recreation and self enhancement through such self-exploratory activities as regularly diary writing as well as reading to upgrade one’s knowledge, skills or fine-tune one’s attitudes Finally, the chapter defines and outlines the importance of intrapersonal self–awareness, interpersonal self-awareness, cultural self-awareness, communication self-awareness, and professional self–awareness.
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