Mindarma — THE REUTERS MENTAL HEALTH & RESILIENCE RESOURCE

All Reuters journalists have unlimited access to an online resilience training program called Mindarma. Each of the 10 modules contain cognitive strategies to build psychological resilience as well as guided mindfulness tracks. Each module runs 15-20 minutes.

Mindarma was developed by workplace mental health experts at the University of New South Wales and Australia’s Black Dog Institute. RAW stands for Resilient And Wise.

Mindarma modules:

1. Introduction. What your brain contends with in our hyper-connected world. Introduction to mindfulness. Letting go of thoughts. Living in the moment.
2. Simple skills. Mindfulness workout: basic grounding. Stubborn thoughts. Mindfulness workout: mindful breathing.
3. Tame the tangle. What to do when the brain goes into reactive mode. Mindfulness workout — mindful birds.
4. Just a thought. Your thoughts may not be true, real, useful, wise, important or helpful. You can judge for yourself. Train your reactive mind not to get tangled up in thoughts. Mindfulness workout — say hello and let it go.
5. Getting emotional. Emotions provide insight into your values. Your values are what you care about and what you stand for. Actions taken in line with your values provide psychological benefits. Taking valued actions allow you to move in a positive direction, towards a life of meaning and purpose. Mindfulness workout — creating space.
6. Action time. Death. What legacy will you leave behind? What will you regret that you didn’t do? People’s biggest regrets are not taking valued actions. Identify which values are important to you and commit to taking actions in line with them. Mindfulness workout — a mindful choice.
7. Sphere of influence. If you can’t change a situation, there is no point worrying about it. How to stop your reactive mind from clinging to things outside your sphere of influence. Mindfulness workout — a mindful break.
8. The compassion myth. Trying to be tough won’t make you resilient. Self-compassion involves mindfully directing warmth, kindness and support toward yourself. Self-compassion helps you become more resilient. Mindfulness workout — A compassionate hand.
9. Brain and body boosters. How you treat your brain determines how it will perform. The importance of sleep, exercise and nutrition. Mindfulness workout — iRest 9 minute nap.
10. When the going gets tough. Respond with mindfulness and self-compassion. Respond with an action plan. Your support network. Mindfulness workout — a golden moment.

Mindarma’s creators tested their program on Australian firefighters. The results of that trial following a four-year period of research and analysis were published in February 2019. It showed the firefighters who did the program had significant increases in their ability to adapt to adverse circumstances. The greatest improvements in resilience were seen among those who completed most of the modules over a period of several weeks. There was also significant improvement in the overall optimism of the firefighters and their willingness to seek emotional support and advice from others.

Click here for instructions on how to sign up.