Navy Seals Unsealed

Their moto is: You don’t have to like it. You just have to do it.

• 20k: An estimate of 20 000 men express their interest
• 1k: 1 000 meets the requirements
• 250 completed the training
• 63 become seals

Who are the Seals?

Pre-Requisites for Selection:

• US Citizen
• Male
• 17-28 years old. Waivers for men ages 29 and 30 are available for highly qualified candidates
• High school graduate

Initial Physical Fitness Test:

Some trainee find it useful to exercise using a good quality watch to keep rhythm.

• Swim: 500 yards in 12 minutes, 30 secs
• Push-ups: 42 reps in 2 min
• Sit-ups: 50 reps in 2 min.
• Chin-ups: 6 reps in 1 min.
• Run: 1.5 mile in 11min.

Computerized-Special Operations Resilience Test, or C-SORT, which measures:

• Mental Toughness
• Resilience

Seal in Training

U.S. Navy Seals take their name from the environments in which they operate: Sea, Air and Land.

The 7 Mind Hacks of Navy SEALs

Mind Hack #1: Visualization

According to neuroscientist, mental visualization is just as important in doing the actual practice itself.

Two types of visualization: 

1. Rehearsal: Picture yourself perform a skill to perfection
2. Ideal State: Envisioning an ideal state for yourself at some point in the future.

Why Perform Visualization?

• Basketball players improved their free throw accuracy by 23% from just visualizing the free throws.
• When done repeatedly, it teaches and rewire your brain at a very primal level.
• Players who practiced actual shooting improved by 24%
• This technique keeps motivational level HIGH!

How can I perform Visualization?

Next time you have something hard to do, visualize it already done. Use moments of down time to practice short 2-3 minutes visualizations. Don’t fantasize about getting what you want but see yourself overcoming specific obstacles.

Mind Hack #2: Situational Awareness

It simply means paying attention to what is going on around you without obviously doing it.

It is known as the “360 Mindset” defined as the ability to: identify, process, comprehend the critical elements of information.

5 Levels of Awareness

The yellow conditions results in optimal awareness.

• White: Turned out, daydreaming with heart rate 100 bpm.
• Yellow: Relaxed awareness in defensive driving with heart rate 100 bpm.
• Orange: Focused Awareness while driving in hazardous road conditions with heart rate above 100 bpm
• Red: High alert with adrenaline rush, a prayer and a gasp for air all at the same time. Heart rate of 115-145bpm.
• Black: Comatose when you literally freeze at the wheel with heart rate over 175 bpm.

Mind Hack #3: Triggering Consciousness

A trigger serves as the key to unlock the results of mental readiness. This trigger is the thing that makes you want to live.

The most effective trigger will be different for everyone. I can be: child, parent or partner.

Thinking that nothing can steal away your life or family’s

Navy Seals use this training to increase their mental toughness with the ultimate purpose of controlling their fears.

How is it done?

The secret is putting yourself in the same difficult situation on a consistent basis, day in day out, or until you become immune to it.

Dig deep and identify the single most important thing in the world to you make a mental portrait,

Visualization is a Trigger’s Friend.

Mind Hack #4: Arousal Control

Arousal control means defying the natural response of our body to stress.

Seals are able to control their physiological and psychological response when aroused by outside stimuli (danger).

Our bodies release chemicals known as cortisol and endorphins when in overwhelming situations.

The chemicals cause:

1. Our palms to sweat
2. Our minds to race
3. Our hearts to pound
4. Our body function to malfunction.

Optimal arousal state can make you:

1. Feel in control
2. Have a plan and the sufficient time to execute it.
3. Have generated a history of good progress up to this point.

How to practice arousal control?

Practice the 4×4 for 4 Combat Breathing Technique:

1. Breathe in though your nose for 4 seconds
2. Breathe out for 4 through seconds through your mouth.
3. Rinse and repeat for 4 minutes to settle an arousal

Mind Hack #5: Small Victories

Do you know the proverb “Eat the Elephant” ? It means to go one bite at a time.

Goal setting is the process of identifying something that you want to accomplish and establishing measurable goals and timeframes.

How can I practice small victories?

Set mini daily goals such as

• Dieting from making it to lunch then dinner
• Waking up 30 minutes early tomorrow to exercise
• Focus on one task at a time
• Avoid considering the whole.

Mind Hack #6: Convert fears to confidence.

It’s estimated you say 300 1000 words per minute. Those words need to be positive

Seals are not allowed to panic. Why?

1. Optimism is associated with better health and a longer life.
2. The army teaches soldiers to be optimistic because it makes them tougher and more persistent.

How can I convert fears to confidence?

Practice positive self-talk. Think constant positive thought. When talking to yourself, be an optimist, not a pessimist.

Mind Hack #7: Have the will for HOOYAH

Derived from the British military acronym HUA or ” Hear. Understand. Acknowledge.” used during their time in Afghanistan in the 1800s.

It gives the essence of Teamwork and motivation. No man left behind.

Why is it so important?

1. It builds morale and signify verbal acknowledgement.
2. It allows you to think that you can do 20x more than you ever thought possible.
3. Contains a thousand pounds of confidence.

How can I practice HOOYAH?

Know that you are not alone.

Plan with your family and makes your own “Hooyah”.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.