Soldiers must maintain relational engagement despite physical and mental strain. They have to be able to connect with their peers and superiors for teamwork, morale, and cohesion.
Prolonged exposure to combat conditions can affect their ability to form and maintain close bonds. This article will discuss how soldiers cope with these challenges and what strategies they use to stay engaged with others.
Physiological stress is caused by physical exertion and environmental factors. It includes heat, noise, light, fatigue, illness, injury, hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion. These factors are present during training and deployment. They can impair cognitive function, memory, judgment, emotional regulation, communication, and perception. Physiological stress also impacts sleep quality, which further compromises performance.
Psychological stress comes from fear, uncertainty, anticipation, frustration, anger, sadness, guilt, shame, grief, loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, trauma, and depression. It worsens when people feel disconnected from loved ones or lack support systems. Soldiers may experience psychological distress due to long-term separation, unmet expectations, traumatic events, and poor leadership.
Relational engagement involves intimacy, trust, respect, empathy, compassion, loyalty, dependability, openness, honesty, vulnerability, and shared goals. To achieve it requires effort and time. Engaged relationships require attention, care, understanding, validation, feedback, collaboration, and celebration. Soldiers need them to build resilience, adapt to adversity, and overcome obstacles.
Coping with cumulative physiological and psychological stress affects relational engagement in three ways:
1) Emotional distance - People under duress tend to withdraw from social interaction to conserve energy for self-preservation. They become more sensitive, defensive, irritable, and isolated. This behavior reduces the quality of their relationships. They avoid conflict, confrontation, and intimacy. They become less willing to share feelings and thoughts.
2) Attentional overload - Stressful situations can make soldiers hypervigilant, preoccupied, and anxious. Their minds are on survival rather than connection. They focus on tasks, duties, and responsibilities. They neglect communication, bonding, and relationship maintenance. They lose interest in others' interests and desires.
3) Behavioral changes - Stress alters physical appearance, posture, voice tone, facial expressions, gestures, and body language. It affects social skills, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal dynamics. People may be insensitive or hostile, impulsive or withdrawn. They might also violate norms, rules, values, or boundaries. These behaviors can damage trust, respect, loyalty, empathy, and commitment.
Despite these challenges, soldiers have strategies to stay engaged with peers and superiors. Firstly, they prioritize relationship building during training and deployment. They communicate regularly, share experiences, support each other, offer encouragement, and celebrate successes. Secondly, they practice mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques. Thirdly, they seek professional help if needed.
Maintaining relational engagement requires effort, time, and resilience. Soldiers must cope with cumulative physiological and psychological stress to form and maintain close bonds. They use different strategies such as prioritizing relationships, practicing self-care, and seeking professional help. By doing so, they can build cohesion, morale, and teamwork despite the challenges of combat conditions.
How do soldiers maintain relational engagement while coping with cumulative physiological and psychological stress?
Although military service can be highly challenging, many soldiers find ways to stay connected with loved ones despite their unique experiences on the battlefield. One way that they may do this is by engaging in shared activities such as watching movies or playing games together when possible. This can help them feel more emotionally supported and less isolated from their family members back home, which can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms associated with prolonged separation.