When you think of how U.S. Army soldiers train, your mind probably goes to early morning PT (physical training), an endless amount of push-ups, and running as long and as fast as possible. While there’s no denying that physical readiness is essential for an Army soldier, building a strong mind is just as important.
The Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system is a battle-tested initiative that combines all essential aspects of physical and non-physical wellbeing to enhance soldier readiness across five domains of health: physical, nutritional, sleep, spiritual, and mental. It is this last one, the mental readiness domain, that arms soldiers with the tools to build the mental strength, awareness, and resilience needed to feel confident and prepared to adapt during difficult situations.
“When faced with adversity and challenging environments, soldiers need the ability to respond quickly, maintain focus, adapt plans, and communicate effectively,” says Major Erin Stone, an occupational therapist and H2F mental readiness expert at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, in Virginia. “Mental readiness optimizes soldiers’ mental agility, rapid and appropriate responses, creative problem-solving skills, and cohesive team dynamics so that they can achieve the mission—or, stated another way, have cognitive dominance.”
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