Promoting family resiliency Published Nov. 12, 2009 By Maj. L. Lynn Pauley 20th Medical Group SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Developing military family resilience is a process unique to each military family. No two military families have the exact same struggles and successes any more than any two civilian families. Yet, there are some commonalities that military families share in the quest to build resilience. What is "resilience" and how does the term apply to military families? "Resilience" is the process of adapting well in the face of trauma, tragedy, challenges and adversity. It means "bouncing back" from difficult life experiences. Military families are critical to overall mission success in all branches of today's military. Approximately two-thirds of Air Force members are married and 100 percent are volunteers. Family resiliency, then, refers to the military family's success in negotiating the many challenges of military life that the entire family experiences. This is essential not only to the military member's success but also to overall mission accomplishment. How can families build resilience? Making and maintaining positive and meaningful social connections is one of the primary ways to build individual resilience. Accepting and receiving help and support from family members strengthens individual resilience. Families build resilience when they learn to strengthen and support each other and their communities. Helping other military families in their time of need will also build family resilience. Self-talk and Taking Action are other important aspects of building resilience. The individual develops confidence in self when he or she has a positive attitude and decides to take action in moving toward personal goals. By taking decisive actions in the face of problems, even if these actions may seem small or unimportant, the individual feels empowered to try again. Similarly, families can "decide" to empower themselves by taking control of a situation by choosing to take action. For example, a family could experience "culture shock" and loneliness after a permanent-change-of-station move to a foreign country or a different part of the United States. That same family could decide to "take action" by exploring the local culture, learning the language, or attending a local event. These acts will not "solve" the entire problem of culture shock however, the family should experience a tiny success that will energize them to continue reaching out and, eventually, feeling at home in their new location. Finally, families can build resilience by encouraging self-care in all family members. Good nutrition and regular exercise will help family members be prepared to manage the challenges that require resilience. Building family ties by engaging in activities everyone can enjoy will strengthen family ties and create relaxing distractions from work, school and chores. Paying attention to each others' needs and feelings will build resiliency in all family members and in the family as a whole. For more information on the topic of resiliency in military families please go to www.militarymentalhealth.org and click on the link "related articles." This link breaks down the topic of resiliency into different age categories and events such as resiliency for adolescents and resiliency in wartime.