Everything in aviation we know because someone somewhere died… We have purchased, at great cost, lessons literally bought with blood… We cannot have the moral failure of forgetting these lessons and have to relearn them.” Sully Sullenberger Pilot of Flight 1549, ‘The Miracle on the Hudson’ All frontline healthcare warriors will bear scars from emotionally […]
‘My Mental Toughness Manifesto’ Part 3: PERFORM
‘Practice’ is about building a skillset, and fostering a way of life (via ‘immersion’) that serves to strengthen perception of one’s available resources when crunch time arrives. However, reality dictates that certain scenarios are impossible to prepare for, particularly in the emergency medicine arena. The more chaotic the workplace, the higher the frequency of unavoidable threat appraisals. Therefore, it is crucial […]
‘My Mental Toughness Manifesto’ Part 2: PRACTICE
In MMTM Part 1, two-step cognitive appraisals were explained. This process dictates whether one enters a challenged or threatened mindset in the event where an immediate performance is required under acute stress. Feeling challenged, of course, is one of the two chief components of a mentally tough individual. “I am 100% committed” “I feel challenged” In this post, we […]
‘My Mental Toughness Manifesto’ Part 1: Cognitive Appraisals
It has been an exciting period for me recently. Last month I was at the International Special Training Centre (ISTC) in Pfullendorf, Germany, where I had the honour of speaking to a group of Special Operations Combat Medics in-training from eleven nations across NATO. Staying at the base, meeting the guys, and contributing to their fantastic 26-week […]
The ‘Deliberate Practice Mindset’
Performance improvement is an interest of mine. I have previously blogged and podcasted about the strategies I employed to lift my game (from rock-bottom) when working in an extreme environment – a South African township ED. I first became aware of ‘deliberate practice’ after reading an excellent St. Emlyn’s post last year. I had never encountered […]
