Using CBT and DBT to Guard Against Influence and Manipulation What Is Cognitive Warfare? Cognitive warfare refers to deliberate efforts by state and non-state actors to influence the way people think, perceive reality, and make decisions. Unlike traditional warfare, which focuses on physical force, cognitive warfare targets the mind itself. It operates through propaganda, disinformation […]
There’s a Zen teaching that says: how you do anything is how you do everything. At first glance it sounds like a slogan for productivity. But its roots go much deeper. It speaks to the spirit we bring into each action, no matter how small, and how that spirit shapes the whole of our lives.
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What It Really Means and How I’m Learning to Stay Put I’ve noticed something about myself in my post military life: I constantly want to move. It’s not that I dislike Charleston. I love the Lowcountry—the history, the salt air, the winding marshes. It’s home, but there is always something tugging at the edges. There
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Every pile of papers on the counter.Every box in the garage you’ve been meaning to sort.Every unanswered email in your inbox. They all carry more weight than they appear. On the surface, it looks like clutter — stuff that simply needs to be organized. But underneath, each stack, drawer, or folder represents dozens, maybe hundreds,
The Tyranny of Unmade Decisions Read More »
When it comes to change—real, sustainable, embodied change—motivation gets the headlines, but consistency casts the deciding vote. We can talk about discipline, drive, and dopamine all day long, but the truth is: time has a vote. And it doesn’t care how fired up you were on day one. It cares what you did on day
Time Has a Vote: How Consistency, Dedication, and Devotion Drive Real Change Read More »
In the trenches of military service, the back of an ambulance, or the therapy office after hours, dark humor shows up like an old friend. It’s the sideways grin after a hard call. The joke that feels too “wrong” to say out loud—but still brings a chuckle from those who get it. Dark humor isn’t
Leaving the military wasn’t the end of my adventure—it was the beginning of a new one that required effort and some help to understand. For years, my identity had been forged in discipline, structure, and service. I knew what my role was, what the objective was, and who had my back. But once I transitioned
Guides, Helpers, and Shadows: Jungian Archetypes in the Hero’s Journey Read More »
Understanding Trauma, Vicarious Trauma, and Moral Injury — and Why Avoidance Can Make It Worse Trauma isn’t just a buzzword or something that only happens to soldiers and first responders. It’s something most people experience in some form — directly or indirectly — and it doesn’t always come with obvious scars. Words matter, and I
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When most of us hear the word stress, we think of headaches, sleepless nights, and burnout. But stress is more than just a villain in our story — it’s also a powerful teacher and motivator when managed intentionally. At Tactics Total Wellness, we believe in a balanced, mission-focused approach: understanding stress not just as a
Stress: The Double-Edged Sword of Growth and Injury Read More »
When we talk about stress and trauma in the military, law enforcement, and first responder communities, we often use the metaphor of a ruck — the heavy pack we carry on our backs, filled with the emotional rocks that represent the weight of our experiences. Every mission, every critical call, every sacrifice adds another rock.
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