Coping with Public Safety Service by Dr. Marvin
©
You are effectively handling stress when you are balancing the
pressures in your life. "Stress management " refers to your ability
to draw from a variety of skills that will most effectively impact
stressors. Stress management skills do not eliminate stressors, but
they can eliminate or buffer potential negative effects. If you are
aware of the environmental, organizational, and interpersonal
stressors in your life and how they affect you, it will be easier
for you to select the appropriate coping response. For example,
interpersonal stressors may be best dealt with by using
communication skills. Environmental stressors of which you have no
control over may be buffered by physical exercise to prevent or
reduce tension.
Not all stress is bad. That is, stressors can be motivating and
can stimulate personal growth. The key is to take the energy
produced by the "fight -or-flight " syndrome and productively
direct it before it overwhelms you and becomes burdensome to your
job performance or personal life.
Those who work in public safety tend to be excellent "copers."
Scenarios that represent major stressors to the involved citizens
are likely routine and an expected part of the job for public
safety personnel. If you are a public safety employee, chances are
that you have adapted to the unique and demanding nature of the
job. This is true of those in the field, dispatch, administration,
and clerical. Why then is it important to develop more coping
strategies? You want to be in the best shape to not only have
resilience to stress when you know it is hitting you, but perhaps
more importantly, strive to have a preventative pro-active style to
protect yourself. Also, sometimes it is hard to accept that the
stressors are negatively impacting you. There is peer pressure to
"suck it up and not act like a wimp" -- a response that can ruin
your home life and shorten your life! Following are some of your
common sources of stress:
FIELD STRESSORS
- Distressed victims
- Equipment malfunctions
- Shift work
- Grotesque injury & death
- Mass casualties
- Assault
-
Other Critical Incidents
ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS
- Promotional process & opportunity
- SOP
- Inconsistent discipline
- Response to media
- Management vs. line staff
Upon looking at just the few items listed (out of thousands I
could have listed!), perhaps you're thinking, "Oh, yeah! Part
of this job does #$@&!" Recognize that the stress you
encounter is cumulative and, although you might be able to handle
more than the average citizen, pressures can build &/or
personal and professional stressors may hit you at the same time
causing overload to your coping resources. Work stress adversely
impacts family life and vice-versa. So, even family members are not
immune to the stress effects of a public safety career.
What do you do to cope? How do you know if it is
effective? Following are some coping skills in distinct
groups:
PHYSICAL SKILLS
- Active Exercise (e.g., aerobics; weight training)
- Passive Exercise (e.g., yoga; meditation)
- Nutrition
BEHAVIORAL SKILLS
- Communication
- Time Management
- Involvement in family outings
COGNITIVE SKILLS
- Combat Negative Thinking
- Planning
Make stress management an active and conscious part of your
daily routine. Be aware of the stressors you face. Those out of the
ordinary trauma events (i.e. critical incidents) are best dealt
with through defusings and debriefings. Use the mental health
services and peer support programs that are offered by your agency.
If you don't have such resources, get your union and management
together and insist on it. Feel free to contact me at 858.565-0066, x4 if you are curious about what
services are possible. Take care!
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