mental health - Mission: Milspouse

The Power of the Military Spouse Tribe

by Hope For The Warriors | Sep 20, 2020 | Blog, Expert, Military Life, Veterans

Seth Godin once said: “A group needs two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”

Which makes the United States military family perhaps the largest, most caring, and most diverse tribe in the world, particularly military spouses. Sure, the military may drop you hundreds or even thousands of miles away from your home and family, but they do a really great job of surrounding you with a new one.

This large, extended military family is your tribe, and I encourage you to love them fiercely. And
understand, they will love you back.

AWTR Show #757: Milspouse Coping: 101

by M:M Command Team | Aug 13, 2020 | Podcast

We as military spouses are now not only facing our “normal” stressors (deployment, TDYs, PCSing) but also making attempts to adapt amid all things CV-19.

AWTR Show #756: “The World Looks Different Now”

by M:M Command Team | Aug 10, 2020 | Podcast

Today we are talking with Margaret Thomson, a journalist who has written a memoir about the suicide of her older son, who was a medic in the Army.

Mother’s Memoir Tackles Difficult Subject of Military Suicide

by M:M Command Team | Aug 2, 2020 | Blog, Health & Fitness, Partner Post

My son Kieran, a medic in the Army, took his life on August 28, 2010, only months before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan. It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since his death. Or that this milestone anniversary is taking place during what can only be described as a year unlike any other.

Suicide is often called “the last taboo” and with good reason since it’s one of the few subjects that remain largely off-limits in our society. People know that suicide is a problem and that we need to be talking about it. And yet the very idea of someone taking his or her life leaves many of us feeling deeply uncomfortable. We don’t know what to say, much less what to do.

‘You Are Worth It’: Healing from MST with HOPE

by Hope For The Warriors | Jul 21, 2020 | Blog, Expert, Health & Fitness, Veterans

Hope has been the key to Catherine Bane’s healing journey as a military sexual assault survivor—both figuratively and literally.

Catherine joined the Army fresh out of high school in 2003, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, father, and six of her brothers. She was excited about her new journey, which began as a chaplain’s assistant.

That joy and excitement was shattered by, not one, but two sexual assaults.

Be Your Best

by Retired Blogger | Jul 15, 2020 | Blog, Experience, Household 6

A few weeks ago, my friend suggested that I take the Enneagram Test. I was all for it, since I love taking personality tests, like Strength Finder 2.0, Myers-Briggs, The 5 Love Languages, etc.

After fifteen minutes of taking the test, I had my results. I am 95% a number 1, which means being a perfectionist or the “good girl.” Honestly, I did not like my results, especially since the reason I am the way I am is mostly based on my childhood and trying to be the good girl.

My friend tried to explain to me that this is the reason why I am doing the things I am. For example, being a people pleaser (I am slowly learning to stand up for what is right and that it is OK not to please everyone).

Don’t Tell Your Spouse

by Retired Blogger | Jul 3, 2020 | Blog, Deployment, Experience, Household 6

My husband recently returned from a deployment. During that time I found myself enjoying a new schedule and a few new habits. At nigh,t after I put my two children to bed, if I didn’t have work to do, I would enjoy a cup of coffee, a not so healthy snack, and pick a movie that would inevitably make me cry.

Sharpening the Saw

by Sharita Knobloch | Jul 2, 2020 | Blog, Experience, Health & Fitness, Military Life

No, this isn’t about household tools.

We here at AWN cover a variety of topics, and today is one of my favorites. I read a lot of books, and one that was a classic for me in college, and still pretty popular among leadership gurus out there, is Seven Habits for Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. All of the habits build on one another, but the first six can’t be optimally successful without the seventh: That is, “Sharpening the Saw.”

Have you heard the story of the two woodcutters? If not, here goes:

How to Maintain Your Mental Health During COVID-19

by Retired Expert | Jun 18, 2020 | Blog, Expert, Health & Fitness, Partner Post

Remember the good old days—before anyone had coined the term “social distancing?”

So far, 2020 has been marked by an escalating global crisis fueled by the spread of COVID-19. Now that the United States has joined the list of countries with widespread cases, we’re coping with the tragedy of human loss, the financial impact on our communities and our pocketbooks, and the shared responsibility of slowing the spread of the virus.