Stress

Stress can effect your job performance and your life outside of work. As law enforcement professionals it is important to recognize that stress is unavoidable. With this in mind, we must also recognize that in some cases a certain level of stress is unavoidable and may in fact be beneficial to us. The goal is to learn to understand the difference between good stress and bad stress and how to navigate both types. STRESS CAN NOT BE ELIMINATED BUT IT CAN BE MANAGED. Understanding what is bad stress and what constitutes good stress gives the officer the ability to minimize the effects of bad stress and maximize the benefits of good stress.

 
Bad stress can rapidly lead to:

• Headaches
• Muscle Tension
• Eye tension
• Anxiety
• Tunnel Vision
• Loss of fine motor skills
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid uncontrolled engagement of the “FIGHT or FLIGHT” response
• Inability to comprehend and respond to an evolving situation

 

The effects of longterm unmanaged stress may be cumulative and can lead to :

• Sleep disorders
• Muscle aches and tension ( back, shoulder and neck aches)
• Digestive Disorders
• Immune system suppressed (colds, flus, etc.)
• Teeth grinding / TMJ disorder
• Burnout
• High Blood Pressure and heart issues
• Short temper
• Depression
• Panic attacks
• Risk taking
• Isolation
• Alcohol and/or substance abuse