Tactical Tangents #126: Ross Hick, The Inner Game of Thriving.

[Yung]

https://www.tacticaltangents.com/podcast/ross/

EPISODE 126
The inner game of thriving
Dec 1, 2022 | Podcast

In this episode, Mike sits down for a discussion with Ross Hick. In addition to his career supervising violent felons as a Probation Surveillance Officer, Ross works as a trainer with Citizens Defense Research. One of his specialties is the psychology of critical incidents. There’s a lot of material out there on preparing for the fight, but Ross and Mike go on a deep dive about preparing for the aftermath.

Tactical skills and physical fitness can help survive the fight, but what about emotional fitness after the fight is over? In addition to common symptoms like sleep disruption and reliving the incident, high responders may find themselves in the uncomfortable position of feeling isolated and out of control afterward. In this episode Ross & Mike talk about therapy resources, the importance of finding meaning outside the job, and preventative care ahead of time for mental resilience in the wake of a critical incident.

Citizens Defense Research
December 7 at 10:42 AM ·
If you listened to my talk with Mike on Tactical Tangents last week, you'll probably find this relevant. This is a stressful time of year for everyone, and stress has a way of rubbing off on us despite our best efforts.
"Just get some exercise," is good advice, but the mental health equivalent of, "just stop slapping the trigger." Connect with people (and if you hate that idea, this goes double for you); maybe just say hi to your neighbor at the mailbox, find some bomb tacos with a buddy, or call your brother back. Check on your friends, even if that's just saying "hi". Combine that with a solo creative activity (for those days you don't have the energy for people, which is going to be a lot if you're introverted like me); buy a crappy piece of furniture and refinish it, learn how to play an instrument, or just write down your thoughts on a particular topic.
Lastly, don't forget the power of natural light, touching things (like grass if you can find some), and eating good food; vitamin D and the hormones associated with mood are HIGHLY influenced by things we take for granted in the warmer months and little changes can affect big things.
What are you going to do this week to fight back? Share in the comments below.
-Ross
(original cartoon from Sarah's Scribbles)

[Tamara]

This was a good episode. Well worth the listen.

[Erick Gelhaus]

Haven't heard this one yet. As a rule though, preparation for the actual Aftermath is woefully under-addressed.