What You Need to be Resilient + Handling Resentment as a Military Spouse - with Dr. Michelle Kirk

26.Resilience may look different than you think. And what fuels resilience? We discuss it all in today's episode with doctorate-level performance psychology professional Michelle Kirk.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and guest background01:00 - Resilience, recovery, and team sport of military life02:20 - Understanding resentment and unmet expectations03:00 - Michelle’s journey into performance and resilience psychology04:00 - Motivation rooted in athletic experience and studying behavior05:30 - How resilience differs across domains and the importance of rest06:50 - Resilience versus grit: definitions and misconceptions08:36 - Parallels between sports and military family resilience10:00 - Rest, recovery, burnout, and capacity for resilience12:12 - Building resilience to handle stress, adversity, and pressure13:45 - Domains of resilience and areas for self-awareness15:39 - Unique challenges of military spouse resilience and recovery strategies17:30 - The importance of community and shared language18:57 - Recognizing energy depletion and capacity limits20:12 - Domains of well-being and intentional self-care22:36 - Practicing intuitive and effective self-care24:44 - Reframing sacrifice and cultivating gratitude32:27 - Personal experiences with resentment in military life33:53 - Expectations, unmet needs, and communication34:36 - Reflection, self-awareness, and responsibility in resilience37:03 - Supporting children through deployments and challenges55:00 - Building community and leveraging local resources66:50 - Connecting with Michelle for support and follow-upConnect with Michelle Kirk:Michelle Kirk - LinkedInEmail: [email protected] (or via direct message on Facebook)Michelle Kirk is a doctorate-level performance psychology professional who has spent more than a decade helping military leaders, soldiers, and families build resilience and perform under pressure. She’s worked with the U.S. Army in roles ranging from leadership coaching and resilience training to developing suicide prevention and deployment support programs. In addition to her experience working with military populations, she’s coached sports from youth to the college level, worked at several universities across the country teaching sport psychology, principles of behavior change, and coaching courses. She continues to coach athletes and consult with parents and coaches to help enhance resilience and performance in sport and life. Michelle has earned a Ph.D. in Performance Psychology, a Master's degree in exercise science and is a certified master resilience trainer and mindfulness sport performance enhancement instructor. Michelle is a military spouse of 10+ years. In those 10 years, Michelle and her husband have logged six cross country moves along with having and raising four children. Through this lived experience, Michelle has developed a passion for supporting military spouses as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of military life to include deployment (and heavy TDY) seasons, relocation, finding community and maintaining connections, and meeting one's own needs (self-care) while always in the service of others.