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Joint Stress Mitigation Essay

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The Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration Team helps Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers, Aug. 13 on U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, relax and stretch out at their monthly Self-Care Day. “JSMART Self-Care Day is all about promoting and educating JTF Troopers on what good self-care looks like,” said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonni Gillispie, a JSMART behavioral health technician. “Self-care is basically taking time out of the day, the week, the month to take care of yourself. Doing things that you, your body and your mind need. You can't pour out of your own cup when it is already empty; self-care helps us refill our cups.” This month’s Self-Care Day featured a one hour yoga session on the JSMART oceanfront pavilion, therapy …show more content…

Navy Lt. Katherine Kline, the officer in charge of JSMART, says the goal of JSMART is “to promote wellness in all JTF members. Being in the military, we are trained to put others first but it is our belief that if you can't take care of yourself, then you can't take care of others. I always encourage people to think of it like this -- when you're on an airplane and the oxygen masks drop, what do they tell you to do with it? The answer is, put yours on first because if you can't breathe then you can't help anyone else to breathe. That is the epitome of self-care.”
Countie highly encourages Troopers to attend the JSMART Self-Care Days for the serene experience and allow the tension to float away from their bodies. “For all of the JTF, please utilize this facility and utilize the activities that they have,” Countie said. “Come out here, enjoy this and experience something you may never have experienced before. If you’ve done it before, come do it again. It’s great for the body, it’s great for the mind and it’s great for the spirit.”
The next JSMART Self-Care Day is Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to noon with therapy dogs, refreshments and massage chairs. Yoga starts at 9 a.m. For more information, please call the JSMART team at x2321 or x2377. For emergency situations after hours, call 911 or

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