Wellbeing & Resilience: The desire to be resilient is infectious

The desire to be resilient is infectious….

WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE COMMITTEE

Yet another early morning breakfast event is a challenge in motivation on a cold and blustery winters morning but on this occasion the room was filled with over 300 people with energy to burn awaiting our keynote speaker, Dr Rhonda Cornum. Instantly putting the room at ease Dr Cornum starts by saying that she is not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist, just someone who encountered an adverse experience that made her realise the true power of resilience in the practice of an occupation, in her case the Army.

Dr Cornum promoted a few key messages throughout her presentation which are transferable to our legal profession -:

THE WORST TIME TO LEARN SOMETHING IS WHEN YOU NEED IT

Think back to the night before exams and the amount of cramming of new information that could be asked the following day was your first lesson in this life statement. There is a science to “good timing” called chronobiology and it reveals that peak performance is hardwired into our DNA. Being able to learn about personal development or professional development is as matter of routine as is washing the shampoo out of your hair but sadly it is not taken quite as seriously. Allocating time to mental health should be equal to your pursuit of physical health.

Professional development and personal development intertwine when it comes to the maze that is the burning question of “what is good mental health and how do I get it?”. Push yourself to read broadly, watch a TedTalk once a month but most importantly surround yourself with people that you can talk to open and honestly - that will be your true achievement of good mental health.

Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Rhonda Cornum stands in front of a photo showing the remains of the Blackhawk helicopter she was aboard when it was shot down. Photo: Steve Pivnick – US Air Force

IF YOU DON’T TRY TO CHANGE IT CERTAINLY WON’T WORK

Repeating the same mistakes is sadly human nature at times. It can take a repeat of occurrences for humans to realise that we are not getting the desired result. Steve Jobs once said “you certainly won’t get it right all the time, but if you do nothing you will always get it wrong”. Taking the opportunity to review and self-reflect on your personal and work patterns allows you to build resilience to realise that there are other pathways and other outcomes to the situation you are in today. Dr Cornum suggests even small changes should be celebrated as it will build the physical response to continue to want to change.

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE ONLY VALUABLE IF THEY MOTIVATE YOU DO TO SOMETHING WITH THEM

In our relentless pursuit of happiness, it’s easy to shove aside, make light of, or otherwise evade negative emotions. But the truth is that unpleasant feelings are not only inevitable, they can also play a key role in health and well-being. In her own experience of what she considers “ordinary catastrophes” (ie being tortured for days on end in hope of information on the American Army…..hmmmm ordinary catastrophe huh?) she said that turning negative emotions into creative solutions, celebrating the lessons learnt from life’s challenges and loss led to a feeling of gratitude for what is still around.

The work that Dr Cornum has done for the US Army has been recognised worldwide with her message being aptly put that “when your attitude changes to the battle, then the whole battle changes”.

If you missed out on the opportunity to see Dr Cornum take a look at her videos on the SAHMRI website.