Lajes tackles Spiritual Resiliency with video

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Zachary Wolf
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores, Portugal --  The Air Force has made a strong effort over the years to promote the all-around wellness of an Airman. From training programs to commander's calls, complete wellness has been the message the Air Force wants to get across. One topic that has not been easy to express is the spiritual wellness of an individual.

"Pillars were the term that was used previous to what are now called the domains of resiliency," Tech. Sgt. Candice Compton, 65th Air Base Wing noncommissioned officer in charge of the Equal Opportunity Office, said.  

There are four domains of resiliency that resemble the pillars from the previous model. The first is mental, which is the ability to effectively cope with unique mental stressors and challenges needed to ensure mission readiness.

The next is the physical domain. This involves the ability to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors needed to enhance health and wellness.

The third domain is social. This is the ability to engage in healthy social networks that promote overall well-being and optimal performance.

The final domain, which the video highlights, is spiritual. This is the ability to strengthen a set of beliefs, principles, or values that sustain an individual's sense of well-being and purpose.

Compton and Sandra Moore, 65th Air Base Wing community support coordinator, found Airmen, who know what improves their spiritual wellness, and had them share that on camera.

"Spirituality is a broad spectrum that means something different to everyone," Compton said. "The goal was to capture different perspectives on how individuals strengthen their beliefs, principles or values to sustain their sense of purpose."
The search for people willing to speak on camera about their spiritual wellness began with Moore asking for volunteers to share.

"People referred me to friends who they felt had an interesting perspective on the Spiritual Domain," Moore said. "Everyone has people, places, strategies and philosophies that help them get through the tough times. We wanted to talk honestly about different ways of finding meaning and purpose to help us move through adversity."

Resiliency is a buzzword that has been used in the Air Force for many years now and knowing how to improve overall wellness in these domains can help that resiliency remain a priority.

"Through training numerous classes, I have seen and heard people that feel they do not need resiliency training," Compton said. "I would say to anyone listening to remain open minded. Everyone handles stress, deployments and conflict differently. Even if you think you handle adversity well, knowing these skills could help you be there for a fellow wingman, family member or friend when they face a range of challenges."

When some Airmen think of the spiritual domain, they may think of religion, but the fact is that it can be different things for different people.

"We shared stories to expand the way we look at the Spiritual Domain," Moore said. "For some people, it's a physical or artistic expression, such as running or music.  The Spiritual Domain is so individual and personal that even people with a shared philosophy deal with it differently. Most people know what doesn't work for them, but looking past that to find what does work, takes courage.  Focus on what works for you. Look at people, philosophies and hobbies that you are passionate about and provide strength when you are stressed.  It's about how a person finds the extra inner strength when they need it most."

To view the video, click here.