By David Wei, MD, MS, on behalf of the LifeWiseMD team

This post originally appeared on the LifeWiseMD team website. This excerpt has been reproduced with permission from Dr. Wei.

I asked one of my patients what he does for a living recently and he casually revealed he was a retired Navy SEAL. It’s not every day you meet a Navy SEAL with over 20 years of experience, and I certainly did not expect to be talking to one during a worldwide viral pandemic, when our resolve is being tested as a nation, as a community, and as individuals. I was curious what lessons I might learn from someone who had not only completed the training that many consider the most intense in the US military, but then continued to serve our country for more than two decades.

Lessons from a Navy SEAL

As we spoke to each other behind our face masks, I learned about the incredible mental and physical challenges that all Navy SEALs must endure to earn their Trident. I thought my orthopedic residency training was tough with my 40+ hours on-call shifts, but compared to their “Hell Week” when they only slept 4 hours for the entire week my perspective changed.  I had heard of some of these incredible feats before, but listening to them first hand was remarkable. We spoke about his training in arctic warfare, HALO (high-altitude low opening) jumping, and of course underwater training.

He shared several lessons he learned throughout it all, but one principle was pervasive: the key to successfully completing seemingly impossible physical challenges was understanding that 80% of your success relied purely on your mental state, while the remaining 20% was a test of actual physical ability.

I had heard of this strategy from marathoners, elite weightlifters, and endurance athletes of many kinds — highlighting how mental preparation is just as important, if not more, than physical preparation.

Perspective is Everything

The profound effect of the mind and our own mental state is also seen in medicine. It likely explains the placebo effect, which has been confirmed across multiple scientific studies. In fact, the “mind over matter” effect has a real biological basis. Studies have shown it is linked to increased emission of neurotransmitters, like endorphins and dopamine, and greater activity in certain brain regions central to moods, emotional reactions, and self-awareness. But the power of perspective is not just an academic phenomenon. We also encounter it in our everyday medical practices when we counsel our patients about pain after surgery. Simply discussing opioid usage after surgery can decrease opioid consumption after an operation — the power of a patient’s expectations can literally affect their level of pain and need for pain medication.

Unfortunately, as we battle the coronavirus, we are constantly reminded that some challenges can not be overcome simply by mental hardening. By definition, the virus attacks the body, on a subcellular level, creating powerful immune-mediated responses that can result in multi-organ dysfunction and sometimes failure. How can mental preparation help in this scenario?

Perhaps, the Navy SEAL mentality for never quitting may not be directly applicable for those fighting the COVID-19 as patients, but the value of perseverance can certainly be applauded in those healthcare workers on the frontline.  In the face of death, quite literally, frontline workers have returned day in and day out to help care for those in need. The dedication of these women and men, including hospital security guards, custodial staff, social workers, nurses, medical students, residents and attending physicians cannot be understated. 

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