TAG Line

Newly promoted Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dale Craft, Joint Force Headquarters, is pinned by his children during a promotion ceremony at Raymond J. Bohn Armory.

Dwyer was pinned by his grandmother during a ceremony at the Fraine Barracks, Bismarck.

The DEOCS question is broken into two parts: 32a. In the past month, how often have you felt nervous or stressed? Response: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often Lately, I would say somewhere between “Sometimes” and “Often.” Increasingly, it feels like more demands are being placed on my time, and for every two things I accomplish, two more things pop up demanding my attention. Sometimes we are not aware of how stress is affecting us. We show up day after day, doing our best, but it feels like we just can’t seem to get anywhere. For instance, this morning, I looked at my work calendar and thought, “Yes, I have a lighter week and can get myself caught up on some administrative tasks.” Once I arrived at work, however, I was given three additional taskers that I had not anticipated, requiring me to readjust and reprioritize my schedule for the day. Fortunately, I slept well last night, took a walk this morning, and ate a good breakfast, so I was able to be flexible and adapt to a new schedule. My thought was, “I can handle this.” The second part of the DEOCS question asks: 32b. In the past three months, how often have you found that you could not cope with all of the things you had to do? Response: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often

When we don’t focus on getting the basics, like getting good sleep, eating well and staying hydrated, exercising, and cultivating a spiritual practice, it can leave us feeling depleted. Then when change happens, we are more likely to feel overwhelmed and less able to respond in a level way. Our response might become, “I can’t handle this.” When this is our response, it’s time to ask for help, even if it’s as simple as asking a co-worker to take part of a work task or ordering groceries ahead for pick-up. The point is to recognize when you need help rather than trying to manage everything yourself.

The difference with humans? We are very challenged by letting go of a perceived threat (stress). We think about it, think about it, think about it, reactivating our nervous systems over and over again. This is the definition of toxic stress. The body perceives itself in constant threat and works to stay on high alert. This means the body is receiving a constant infusion of stress hormones, making it hard to relax. This in turn affects our sleep, which perpetuates the perception that stress is bad. It keeps us in a negative pattern of stress/response. This is where I make the plug for mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is not about meditation; it’s about accepting things as they are by being fully present in the moment. It means refraining from judgement about challenging situations and acknowledging how they make us feel and think. Once we have this acknowledgement, we can choose how we respond rather than acting automatically, sometimes reactively. Because how you feel matters and should be important to you! Reach out to the IPPW team if you would like to learn more about mindfulness or for other resources and tips on how to deal with stress!

As the Chair, she is the lead representative of ESGR in North Dakota, where she will oversee ESGR activities per Department of Defense Instruction 1205.22, “Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve,” February 6, 2017, and the ESGR Strategic Plan. ESGR’s mission is to foster a culture where employers support and value the military service of their Reserve Component (RC) employees. In her role, she and her dedicated volunteers serve as the principal means of communication between the Department of War, employers, RC Service members, and the local community. Sherry's advice and recommendations on matters related to enhancing employer support of the National Guard and Reserve Service members are always welcomed and encouraged by the ESGR headquarters.