Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier | Yumi Panui, 154th Wing Director of Psychological Health greets a Hawaii National Guard...... read more read more
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Hawaii National Guard Airmen, Soldiers and families took part in a self-care retreat June 24-26, in Waikiki as part of a series of resilience-focused workshops.
The 'Ready and Resilient' training program was held as an opportunity to provide service members and families with tools to develop healthy habits and increase their quality of life. It was coordinated as a joint Hawaii Army and Air National Guard effort with funding provided through the National Guard Bureau's Warrior Resilience Fitness Division.
Participants were provided with several weeks of virtual seminars leading up to the weekend event to learn about various domains of fitness such as emotional, spiritual, physical and social health and engaged with a team of multi-disciplinary professionals providing their subject matter expertise in various wellness areas.
"I was in need of a ready and resilient moment, so this workshop was timely," said Lt. Col. Elzadia Kaina, a seminar attendee. "Having different touch points over three weeks helped to keep the momentum and offered the training in bite-size pieces. I've already incorporated small changes that I know will help me in the long run."
With the Hawaii guardsmen serving at installations throughout the island state, some event attendees traveled from neighboring islands to spend face-to-face time with guest speakers who shared insights about communication, achieving goals, fitness, stress management, career progression and building healthy habits.
This is the second year the Hawaii National Guard has hosted the Ready and Resilient Warrior Workshops, showing signs of growth in attendance and diversity between the joint service branches.
Melody Bell, the Hawaii Army National Guard suicide prevention coordinator, was the lead event planner. She designed this year's curriculum to address the multifaceted needs of service members through new and innovative exercises. Bell said the instructor corps wanted to facilitate a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone could remain safe and feel important in their journey to becoming a better version of themselves.
"The most rewarding part of the whole experience is the lasting impact this program has on the service member and the families that participate," said Bell. "The joy of them given the time to work on themselves, the opportunity to find the areas in their lives where they can improve, and the smiles on all of their faces and babies' faces will keep me filled for a lifetime."
While the getaway offered plenty of activities and services, such as catering, childcare, scavenger hunts, physical training, and admission to the local aquarium, the staggered schedule also offered downtime for families to relax and rejuvenate after a full week of work. For some attendees, the mere act of taking a few hours off was enough to lift spirits and bond with loved ones.
"We often think of training as a compact event, but this one was spread out, which helped to keep the training fresh and interesting,'' said Kaina. "The hotel stay with family was a bonus that really allowed me to apply some of what we learned about self-care. I actually got a full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Even better, I had a priceless evening date with my sweetheart - something we haven't been able to do in a long time."
Following the success of the training program, event coordinators are in the process of synchronizing their notes and ideas to build upon and improve the next Ready and Resilient Workshop, scheduled to be held this summer.
"I think the most common comments I came across, as I engaged participants, were that they were exposed to and enlightened about health and wellness in ways that they had not considered before to take better care of themselves and their families," said Yumi Panui, 154th Wing Director of Psychological Health. "The team that put on this event did it with their hearts with genuine concern and commitment to help our members improve their quality of life. I hope that others will recognize the value in taking advantage of this opportunity because they are our most valuable assets, and we want them to take care of themselves and live lives that are full and flourishing."
The National Guard relies on the mental and physical well-being of all its service members and their families. All personnel, regardless of activation status, are entitled to access to free mental health resources on a 24/7 basis. If you are seeking assistance to help cope with any life stressors, please contact your unit's Mental Health professionals or visit the links below to access the Air National Guard's Psychological Health Webpage or Military One Source:
https://www.ang.af.mil/psychologicalhealth/
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2022 21:46 |
| Story ID: | 424214 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Resiliency retreat enhances readiness through wellness, by TSgt John Linzmeier, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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