Archana Cini
Lookout Newspaper

Military service often demands more than physical strength—it also requires the mental fitness needed to navigate pressure, trauma, and unpredictability.

This summer, the Health Promotion (HP) Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness (MFSA) course has been equipping Defence Team members with essential skills to boost resilience and support others in mental distress. MFSA is one of several seasonal offerings open to Defence Team members at CFB Esquimalt, including Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel, civilian employees, veterans, and more. The course introduces powerful tools like grounding, mindfulness, and tactical breathing techniques that can be leveraged in all situations—from operational deployments to daily life. MFSA also explores ways to recognize and respond to distress in others, making it a critical resource in suicide prevention.

Designed with the realities of Defence Team life in mind, MFSA focuses on techniques participants can access in the moment, whether on ship, on base, or at home. Here are some of the strategies taught in MFSA, designed to be practiced regularly for lasting mental fitness.

  • Tactical/Abdominal Breathing: Also known as box breathing, this technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding for four, exhaling for four, and pausing for another four. Practising this activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm stress responses. This is especially useful in high-pressure situations where Defence Team members need to quickly regain composure or sharpen focus.
  • Grounding Techniques: Grounding helps bring attention to the present during overwhelming moments. One common technique is the “5-4-3-2-1” method: identifying five things that can be seen, four that can be touched, and so forth with hearing, smell and taste. Another technique involves counting backwards in increments of seven or eight—anything that requires focus. These strategies can help regain clarity or manage panic.
  • Mindfulness Practice: To be mindful is to intentionally pay attention to the present. To practise this informally, try living in the moment by paying attention to details like breath and movement when performing simple tasks like eating or walking. Building a daily mindfulness habit improves a sense of calm and even helps prevent burnout over time.
  • Guided Meditation: A formal way to practice mindfulness, guided meditations use audio narration to lead the listener through calming visualizations, breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation. Even short meditations are proven to reduce cortisol levels, improve sleep, and support long-term mental wellbeing. Meditation can also be used by Defence Team members after navigating difficult moments to regulate emotion.

Practicing these strategies can offer mental control when it matters most and provide Defence Team members with an operational edge. Importantly, HP courses like MFSA also remind us of  the value in caring for the mind in addition to the body.