The Warrior Fitness Project is a unique holistic hybrid program based on occupational therapy and neuroscience.
During combat and operations, the individual goes through a set of adaptive reactions as a response to adverse situations that gradually allows us to build resilience, character and maintain mission readiness. As we face challenges, we develop and adopt various methods of coping with combat and operational stress. Some of those coping skills turn into healthy and unhealthy ways of managing what we perceive as stressful.
Unhealthy coping methods, can seem beneficial in the short run but turn out counter-productive in the long run. This is because we sometimes look for immediate gratification instead, to give us that immediate burst of “I feel great” type of feeling or a sigh of relief when everything seems as if it’s closing in on us.
At times, individuals experiencing combat and operational stress reactions without intervention, start entertaining suicidal thoughts. With this in mind, it is important to take steps to prevent and intervene by learning to identify the sings of combat and operational stress.
At an individual level, the potential client can self-register to attend the seminar utilizing it as a preventive tool and learn practical ways to manage and self-identify operational stress reactions. As a collective, group, or team of first responders attend the seminar as a self-referred individual or as a team referred by their leadership. We get acquainted with the individual or group and learn more about their occupation and setting goals based on their contextual environment. The program now starts with physical training, nutrition, psycho-educational classes and practical hands-on exercises to reinforce what is being learned in each topic.
These topics include but are not limited to:
- Injury Prevention + activity
- Physical Training + activity
- COSRs (Combat & Operational Stress Reactions)Understanding Stress
- Sleep Management + activity
- Breathing Techniques + group
- Personalities + activity
- Values + activity
- Effective Communication + activity
- Neuroplasticity + activity
- Healthy Thinking + activity
- Conflict Resolution + activity
- Stress Management + activity
- The Warrior Mindset
- Coping and Managing + activity
- Healing vs. Feeling Good
- Suicide Prevention + Group
Some signs of an individual experiencing operational stress reactions include but are not limited to:
- Hyper-vigilance
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Impulsivity
- Anxiety or fear
- Attention, concentration or memory deficits
- Burnout
- Emotional exhaustion
- Being disengaged
- Depressed mood
- Sadness
- Helplessness or grief
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Frustration
- Anger
Our goal is to restore the group or individual to optimal performance. The Warrior Fitness Project is not just a program, it's a lifestyle.