12 Mindset Barriers That Hold Veterans Back

Understanding why you're struggling is the first step towards taking action

Navigating life as a veteran can often feel like traversing a treacherous terrain, with challenges unique to our military background adding to the everyday burdens that civilians face.

From the moment we step out of uniform, we confront a series of daunting obstacles that can leave us feeling adrift and overwhelmed. It's a complex battle, one fought on multiple fronts:

• Loss of structure — For years, the military did almost everything for us, and outside that imposed structure, we feel lost. No wonder we feel disoriented and lack of control over our environment, especially when we first get out!
• Traumatic experiences — If you’ve been exposed to combat or other traumatic events, managing the feelings of anxiety, stress, and a sense of insecurity can feel like a full-time job all in itself.
• Unique physical and mental health issues — Almost a third of veterans have certified service-connected disabilities, whether they are due to physical injuries like a bad back, or PTSD or other mental health issues. Millions more suffer from injuries that the military never recognized.
• Difficulty finding meaningful work — Unemployment or underemployment can impact a veteran's sense of control over their financial and professional life.
• Stigma and discrimination — Stigma and discrimination associated with military service — often self-imposed! — can create additional stress and make it more difficult for veterans to establish connections and find support in their communities.

Understanding the "why" behind our struggles is vital, knowing that our challenges as veterans stem from a profound and often hidden wellspring. But the deeper question is "what" – what is it that uniquely holds us back in ways that most civilians can't fully comprehend?

In many cases, it's our own minds that become our fiercest adversaries, erecting barriers that keep us stuck and feeling powerless to change our circumstances. These self-imposed roadblocks can show up in various forms:

Fear of failure

We worry about making mistakes, facing criticism, or not meeting our own or others' expectations. In the military, mistakes cost lives; in the civilian world, the stakes aren’t usually that high, yet we still often fear failure as if it were life and death.

Fear of rejection

Feeling like others won’t approve often keeps us from pursuing our goals or expressing ourselves authentically. In the military, we had built-in community that forced us all to connect and work together; the civilian world often lacks that cohesiveness.

Procrastination

Without a commanding officer or NCO standing over us, procrastination can hit us hard. It stems from feeling overwhelmed, lacking motivation, or simply not knowing where to start.

Lack of clarity or direction

As soldiers, we were never without a clear mission. When we lack clear goals or a sense of purpose after service, we don't know what we’re working towards, leading to confusion, boredom and lack of motivation.

Low self-esteem/self-doubt

In the military, we knew what we were doing, but when we get tossed into the deep end of civilian life without a rope, we can develop a lack of confidence in our abilities, making it difficult to take initiative or believe in success.

Perfectionism

This is an issue that I rarely see addressed with veterans, but from what I’ve experienced, it’s one of the biggest barriers that hold vets back. The pursuit of perfection can be paralyzing, as we hold ourselves to impossibly high standards and not cut ourselves any slack, and consequently, avoid taking any action at all.

Lack of resources

In the military, we were mostly given everything we needed to survive, both personally and professionally. In the civilian world, access to financial, professional and physical resources can be scarce.

Past trauma

As we’ve already mentioned, negative experiences from your time in the military can create mental and emotional barriers that deter you from moving toward your goals.

Lack of support

For many of us, our civilian support structures just aren’t that strong after years of deployment and the stress of military life. Without supportive family, friends, or colleagues you begin to feel isolated, which discourages you from pursuing your aspirations.

Analysis paralysis

It’s easy to let overthinking and analyzing every aspect of a situation lead to indecision and inaction. We’re unsure of the new rules of engagement, and rather than take action, become paralyzed with fear.

Burnout

Years of chronic stress and burnout from the military can drain veterans' energy and motivation, making it challenging for us to take action.

Learned helplessness

I see this ALL the time; when vets experience repeated failures or lack of control over their circumstances, they begin to develop a sense of learned helplessness, leading to inaction.

So which of these struggles most resonate with you?

As veterans, these internal battles are the crucible in which we forge our futures. Understanding them is the first step toward overcoming them, toward reclaiming the sense of purpose and direction we once had. Once we start to explore these challenges, we can seek not only to shed light on their existence but to find the tools to conquer them.

Originally published on my Substack at https://jillhintonwolfe.substack.com/