In military culture, resilience is often framed as endurance — pushing through, carrying on, not slowing down. Strength is measured by how much stress an individual can shoulder without falling apart.
3.3%
The prevalence of asthma among "Military Health System pediatric dependents," according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open -- Pediatric Asthma in a Universally Insured Military Population.
Military families are ready. Military children are resilient. These terms - “readiness” and “resilience” - are widely used as compliments, describing the strength, tenacity, and perseverance of military families to adapt and overcome the challenges of military life: family separations, frequent moves, and inherent dangers. And indeed, we celebrate the strength of these families. But how ready do families need to be? How resilient is enough?
I remember being a kid, maybe nine or ten years old, rushing to my best friend’s house after school to play Mario Kart on his Nintendo. We would spend hours racing around 16-bit rainbow tracks, smashing blocks, and throwing bananas. I didn’t realize then that gaming could be more than entertainment, or that for some people it could one day become a healthy way to cope with stress.
Have you ever felt anxious because you weren’t confident with how to treat a specific patient? Join the club! This anxiety with new professionals, though, seems to lead to low confidence as a professional overall. So how do you gain professional confidence? Is it in knowing how to treat each patient you encounter or something else? This week I explore this question and content that professional confidence doesn’t lie in “knowing what to do” but knowing how to figure it out.