Page 33 - FOP August 2019 Magazine

and no cop in this town is going to get that. So we have to find a tool to put it in check and keep it together.”
Breathe easier
Gomez begins this section on how to manage a stressor by of- fering three options: accept it (not wanting to change); change it (what is in your control); or reject it (not my problem). To change, try Googling “50 ways to take a break.” Then try some of those ideas on the PDF that comes up.
“Breathing always comes up in the seminar,” Ferreira disclos- es. “When we do breathing as a tactic, like at a hot traffic stop before we exit the car, we’re ready to perform at an optimal level. Or if you have a foot chase, breathe to get yourself back into gear because there will be a lot of questions you have to answer afterward.”
Tactical breathing helps the brain send a message to begin calming the body. It can be used before, during or after a trau- matic event. Follow these simple steps:
• Breathe in through the nose to a count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Breathe out through your nose or mouth to a count of
eight.
• Repeat three to five times.
Meditation is another quick way to inject some calm. Ten minutes during lunch can keep an officer grounded. And there’s nothing like sleep. Shutting the brain off is essential, so whether it’s through sleep or meditation, stress management suggests to just do it.
Another yoga technique the seminar offers has participants resting their feet on a chair in front of them while lying on their backs. For as long as you need. Try this as a way to dust off the day when you get home or to battle insomnia.
In the end, however, officers may already hold one of the best stress management treatments among themselves. Ferreira
One of the stress management techniques attendees get a chance to prac- tice is adult coloring, that helps reinforce an important message.
runs an exercise during the training that requires officers to sit one-on-one, face-to-face and talk to each other. The goal is to initiate that 15 minutes before roll call when officers would sit around and talk to each other, sharing stories, laughing, joking, being there for one another and reducing the stress.
“It’s not just having the conversation, but coming up with, ‘Hey, we’re going to take five or 10 minutes and de-stress,” Fer- reira commands. “Of course, a lot of people say that’s crazy or it’s BS. But when it becomes routine, it’s no longer BS.”
It becomes a lifesaver.
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