We are well aware that following military protocols is not easy. There is a rigid code of conduct that, if broken, is punishable with severity. Compared to an average civilian’s lifestyle, it is incredibly different. It is essential to maintain a constant professional demeanor, free from laziness. When soldiers leave the military, their lifestyles are bound to change. Although we highly doubt that anyone will follow a soldier’s lifestyle, they do have some good habits or rules you should consider pursuing.
There are no consequences for not following some habits anymore, so some are thrown to the curb immediately. Even so, things like waking up early and building strong bonds with your platoon can carry over into your civilian life.
Here are some habits you should consider sticking to after service:
Daily Exercises
Exercising is essential for living a healthy life. Therefore, it is imperative that you continue it after your service too. Wake up early, go put on some joggers and go for a run. Now in most cases, people will be like, ‘well, I don’t need exercising’ or consider it too much effort. Listen, no one expects you to do 100 pushups in 5 minutes. But it is healthy to do a certain amount of workout before starting your day. Remaining physically fit as well as active has a lot of benefits, particularly for mesothelioma veterans.
Some benefits of exercise are:
- Boosts heart health
- Helps in better weight management
- Lowers blood cholesterol level
- Reduces chances of developing type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer
- Strengthens bones, muscles, and joints and lowers the risk of osteoporosis
- Regulates blood pressure
- Improves sleep
It also improves mood and mental state by regulating the brain’s chemicals, such as endorphins, serotonin, and stress hormones. Also, it prevents you from having negative thoughts and distracts you from everyday worries. Thus, several studies show that exercise aids in depression, and those who do it daily have a considerably lower chance of becoming depressed than those who don’t.
On a side note, participating in exercises with other people is a great way to make new friends.
Being an Early Bird
It is a shared joke among veterans that the first morning after retirement or discharge is waking up before the sun rises. Everyone probably has a good laugh and falls back right into bed, savoring that warmth. As good as it feels, there is no need to extend your sleep past noon.
It is a productive habit to get up early. Well, maybe not as extreme as those timings in the military, but an alarm of 7 or 8 won’t hurt you. You may insist that you need some good sleep right after discharge, which is completely true and necessary. However, as you ease back out of military life, keeping a little bit of that early bird aura is healthy.
Besides, recent research proves that only 2% of the total population is wired to be more productive during the night. The rest of you better make the best of the day possible. The world exists outside your dreams.
Arriving 15 minutes before
If you are expected to arrive at a destination at 2, and you do, you are late, my friend. Running there 14 minutes early? Still late. If you arrive 25 minutes ahead of the given time, you’ll be questioned on the fact as to why you were not there 5 minutes before. Like we said, a strict code of conduct. For troops to be considered on time, they had to arrive at least 30 minutes before the stated time.
Despite how absurd it might sound, it’s a good habit. With this 15-minute policy, veterans can think ahead of everyone, arrive on time, ensure they don’t forget anything and are prepared for anything they may encounter. With this rule, you have plenty of time to gather your wits and be at the meeting on time. Veterans may surprise you with how much they can accomplish and still arrive 30 minutes early.
Obviously, you don’t have to do this everywhere, but you can apply it to major events you attend, such as a wedding. Trust us; it will make life a little easier for you.
Bonding with Fellow Troops
People in your unit or platoon are as close to you as a brother or a sister. Fighting for your life and having to watch each other’s back during battle forms unique bonds. If one is hurting, then the whole unit will share that pain and do everything in their power to heal it.
Since civilian life lacks life-and-death situations, this mindset may not be practical, but friendship and social contact should be encouraged. Veterans can teach civilians a lot about bonding and trust. Plus, seeing what veterans have out in the field gives you a higher tolerance for the bad days.
Efforts beyond expectations
The military places a high value on perfection. Troops are taught from day one to take pride in their actions. The tendency for veterans to pay attention to minor details bleeds into the civilian world as well.
Over time, though, that attention to detail begins to wane, especially for minor tasks. In the end, despite trying their hardest and spending time mastering something, it never seems to matter if they put 110% into it.
Final Words!
Although transitioning from military life to a normal one can be quite overwhelming, be sure not to lose any good habits along the way. You can never predict how the result will turn out.