When we leave the military, we often talk about “finding purpose” on the other side of service. It’s true that the military gave us a sense of purpose, but it also gave us something else—clear tasks and standards. Every day was framed by missions, training, checklists, and expectations. The clarity was built in. Civilian life […]
Beyond Service: Finding Tasks, Purpose, and Standards After the Military Read More »
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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Trauma doesn’t just disrupt how we feel or think—it shakes the very ground of how we relate to power and control. For many veterans and first responders, power and control were once cornerstones of their identity: the ability to command, to respond decisively under pressure, to protect others in the midst of chaos. Trauma can
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Trauma doesn’t just live inside the individual—it echoes outward into the way we connect with others. One of the most consistent themes of trauma is its impact on relationships, shaping how we bond, trust, and respond to those closest to us. When trauma disrupts the nervous system, it can create survival-driven behaviors that interfere with
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Our minds don’t process the world in raw, unfiltered form. Instead, we rely on schemas—mental frameworks built from our experiences, values, and lessons learned—to quickly interpret information and decide what matters. Think of schemas like a water filter. A good filter removes harmful impurities and leaves you with something clear, usable, and safe. But if
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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
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Imagine meeting your future self five or ten years from now. Picture them standing across from you: a little older, a little wiser. Would they thank you for the choices you’re making today, or would they wish you had shown up differently? This powerful question, “How can Current Me help Future Me?”, isn’t about guilt
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Sadness can be like a yellow traffic light letting us know that we need to slow down or stop. Just like a new driver learning the rules of the road, we need to spend some time understanding sadness so it can be a useful tool instead of a confusing signal. If we understand how sadness
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We are alive today because of fear, and we might not be living the life we want to live today because of fear. While these ideas are at odds with each other they can still both be true. Let’s explore. One of our Oldest Survival Instincts Neuroscience, along with evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology have
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