Reducing Stress Using Positive Psychology This paper will show that as a Sergeant Major combining Positive Psychology with the MRT Competencies of Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation and Mental Agility will assist with reducing stress in high tempo organizations. As the Army embraces Resilience and Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2), Sergeant Majors must be knowledgeable of the factors and the benefits of these programs in order to facilitate the implementation of reducing stress and achieving results that are positive. Implementation of this will help with the leadership challenge of reducing stress. The association between positive psychological constructs and increased stress resistance implies that increasing such factors could potentially lead to an increase in resilience (Lester et al., 2011)

Introduction

The occupation of the U.S. army across different regions in combative situations for long durations has caused the senior leadership to take up issues of mental strengths in soldiers so that they are capable of coping effectively with traumatic incidents and overcome feelings of desolation and depression that can wreak havoc with the psychological health. The main aim of CSF is to improve the R/PH (resilience and psychological health) of the soldiers through specifically designed courses addressing four main thrust areas. Academic research outcomes have been referred to while designing these interventions (Lester et al., 2011)

Soldier R/PH is the ability to effectively and pragmatically cope with traumatic and stressful issues (Cornum, Matthews, & Seligman, 2011; Reivich, 2010). CSF2 believes in the premise that R/PH can be learned, practiced, and improved by engaging in proper training (Reivich, Seligman, & McBride, 2011). CSF2 resilience training is an intervention in which Master Resilience Trainers (MRTs) -- Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) who undergo specialized resilience training -- and then train others in their unit to realize and improve their psychological and emotional potential to cope with psychologically and emotionally stressful, challenging situations under the CSF2 resilience-training program. The CSF2 model works through the "train-the-trainer" methodology. The objective of the exercises is to make the soldiers aware of the importance of maintaining and sustaining mental fortitude through forged relationships in the event of stressful combat situations that occur in everyday lives for the soldiers. Thus, the focus is on improving the overall R/PH of the soldier (Lester et al., 2013).

Positive Psychology

Training is given to soldiers to counter the predisposition to antagonism, to engender positivity, and to concentrate on endowments rather than fallibilities. This is carried out through exercises that emphasize on feelings, on positive occasions, in their lives. As opposed to imaginative contemplations, soldiers are taught to look for positive encounters by considering positive outcomes, what positive occasions mean, and actions that would lead to positive outcomes (Lester et al., 2011)

Resilience, then, means the ability to react ably to challenging situations and also to sustain the outcomes in future. There is adequate proof to suggest that resilience corresponds to and is caused by various mental and interpersonal posits measured by the Global Assessment Tool (GAT), majority of those being identified with coping with ease to different issues and conditions. As per studies carried out in the context, resilience, though not equally possessed by all, can be taught and developed (Lester et al., 2011)

In particular, the Army's CSF project utilizes procedures that are intended to improve mental quality and positive execution and to lessen the occurrence of maladaptive reactions (Cornum et al., 2011, p. 4). As stated by Cornum and colleagues, CSF seeks to promote R / PH proactively- by realizing human potential through an attention on positive feelings, qualities, institutions, and relationships on societal level. The accentuation of these ideas is in view of the appreciation of the fact that soldiers with these attributes are stronger and have the cognitive assets to counter challenging situations; control over emotional and mental changes caused by anxiety; supportive social and family structures; and the capacity to appreciate their relevance to the work and life (Lester et al., 2011)

Self-Awareness

The essential route undertaken by CSF towards these qualities is by helping soldiers utilize meta-cognitive abilities that help improve resilience. All things considered, the project is intended to help soldiers see how and why they think a specific way and how certain convictions may influence their responses to situations. Resilience, according to CSF is an ongoing process, not an end in itself. While a few soldiers are undoubtedly more "resilient," the advancement of R / PH is a methodology to which all can subscribe. Actually, one of the initial lessons given to Master Resilience Trainers (MRTs) is that the advancement of versatility is a learning process that should be practiced...

In this module, members are taught to recognize their top qualities and appreciate qualities in others, and also how to make the best of those qualities to overcome issues and form groups. The focus of training is on recognizing character endowments that, as Peterson and Seligman (2004) have realized, are respected in all societies and cultures. Realizing such endowments in self and in others is crucial to formation of groups. Unit Two helps soldiers see how individual qualities and the qualities of others can together overcome challenges. To achieve these ends, specific exercises are created that promote such realizations. Recognizing one's center strengths, motivation, convictions, character, and life vision characterize the spiritual strength. These components, which characterize the quintessence of a man, empower one to construct internal quality, realize significance of encounters, act morally, endure through difficulties, and be flexible when confronted with affliction. Spirituality is accrued through individual, philosophical, mental, and/or religious teachings or convictions, and structures the premise of character ("Training," 2014)
Self-Regulation

Self-regulation concentrates on an Activating Event-Thought-Consequence (ATC) model of coping with the challenges of life. The abilities cultivated by ATC help Soldiers distinguish the connections between incidents, considerations, and feelings/responses, and help recognize how their cognitive responses to happenings relate to the intensity of the incident itself in driving pursuant reactions. The theme here is on emotional reactions. They are taught to get trapped into the web of thoughts that often manifest when in dilemma and a run-off could lead to melancholy. Through different activities, soldiers are taught to recognize, assess, and learn to avoid inefficient thinking patterns that engender pessimism (Lester et al., 2011)

Exercises incorporate controlled breathing, relaxing taut muscles, along with concentration and meditation techniques. These methods are intended to cultivate regulation toward oneself by managing of emotional intensity. A main objective is to foster analytical thinking and improve productivity even under duress (Lester et al., 2011).

The physical part of fitness level is defined by flexibility, strength, reflexive acumen and are achieved by way f adequate nutrition as well as exercises that demand high levels of physical speed and stamina. The physical readiness measure is also measured by the triple requirements defined by the Office of the Surgeon General Performance Triad - nourishment, sleep and activities. CSF2 focuses on physical health by similarly assessing readiness and physical capabilities, but also lays emphasis on and trains soldiers to realize and attain the correspondence between mental and physical health. ("Training" 2014)

Mental Agility

Focuses on problem-solving. The main thrust for Soldiers is to precisely perceive the elements that brought about a specific issue and to then seek appropriate measures for mitigation. Troopers are taught to realize predispositions that appear within and how they affect critical the thinking of the unit as a whole. The aim of training is to lessen anxiety, tension, and thoughts that may prove to be catastrophic, instead to improve clear thinking analytic process. Soldiers are taught to appropriate the extreme consequences and avoid the fallibilities caused by rumination. Towards the same, soldiers are trained to figure out the best and worst outcomes resulting out of a situation. The concentration of the training is on preparing soldiers to combat the real life scenarios they might face and thus improving their resilience (Lester et al., 2011)

The training aims to approach life's difficulties in a positive, idealistic manner by exhibiting restraint, stamina, and great character through appropriate decisions and concerted action. Irrespective of the position and role being played in the Army, as a DAC, Soldier, or member of the Family, the difficulties the group faces as a matter of routine, can possibly disintegrate one's control on emotions. Since feelings control our approach to difficulties and critical thinking, resilience can be achieved and sustained by better emotional control. Mental Strength in Soldiers is vital to ward off moral lacerations in the complex environment of battle. The GAT appropriates the capacity to approach life's difficulties in a positive manner and to exhibit restraint, stamina, and character in decisions and actions. ("Training" 2014)

Conclusion

CSF2 system is designed to help shift focus, not just to one that equates emotional well-being with physical well-being, but rather from the perspective on prevention to that of cure (Casey, 2011). The system aims to improve the R/PH of Soldiers, which is understood to help lessen the probability of occurrence of recognizable psychological issues in army men. The segment of CSF2 that focuses on resilience has the…