HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The Integrated Resiliency Team here will host Dr. Jannell MacAulay for two sessions of her presentation, Mindful Foundations, at the Minuteman Commons Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon, and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
As an Air Force veteran and combat pilot, MacAulay was one of the first leaders to introduce mindfulness as a proactive performance strategy for service members.
In Mindful Foundations, MacAulay takes a business-approach to stress management, burnout prevention, and work-life balance.
Sydney Herminghaus, a Hanscom AFB Integrated Resilience specialist, said the event should offer more feasible and sustainable practices for everyday use.
“There’s a misconception that to be mindful means we have to shut the lights off and meditate every time we experience stress, but we can’t always do that,” she said. “What we really need is to be thoughtful and intentional with how we approach situations throughout the day.”
Senior leaders here are encouraging members of Team Hanscom to attend, and say MacAulay is “the real deal” when it comes to leadership, mentorship, and mindfulness techniques.
“She saw so many opportunities for improvement across the Air Force when it comes to how we treat mental health, awareness, and mindfulness,” said Col. Justin Collins, senior materiel leader, Enterprise IT & Cyber Infrastructure Division, and former colleague of MacAulay. “She genuinely cares about our people, and she lives her practices every day.”
The sessions are open to all those with installation access, regardless of service affiliation. No preregistration is required.
1st Lt. Olivia Jones, an Enterprise Services Branch applications engineer and volunteer for the event, said she is looking forward to adding to her mindfulness tool kit.
“Resources in any area of mental health and connecting to ourselves, or tools that help us know what we’re feeling so we don’t just react to situations, are really valuable,” she said.
For additional information about the event, email 66ABG.CVB.Workflow@us.af.mil.
To volunteer for the event, email Olivia.Jones.6@us.af.mil.