Dr. Jenn Donahue: Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience about How To Survive And Thrive During A Time Of Crisis

Remain Calm — Nobody performs efficiently in chaos. Slow down, or even stop, and take in all possible information around you. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, it was not uncommon to be called to the Command Operation Center in the middle of the night due to an attack on our personnel such as our convoys hitting improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or our bases being targeted by enemy mortars and rockets. During these times, I found that the calmer I was, the more efficiently my team would work. Remaining calm is an art and must be practiced. Part of this is being a good listener so you can make sound decisions for your follow-on actions.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of dealing with crisis and how to adapt and overcome. The context of this series is the physical and financial fallout that resulted from…