• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
        Denver law enforcement struggle to divert low-level offenders to...
        “The good guys won …”
        “Service was running through his veins”: Condolences pour in for...
        Atlanta police officer and fire rescue captain save trapped driver...
    • Labor
      • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
        “A financial tsunami”
        LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
        Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
        We quit!
    • Tech
      • The rise of I2P
        Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
        Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
        AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
        Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
    • Training
      • Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
        CIT training is not for everyone
        Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
        Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
        Firearm instructors: Just be better!
    • Policy
      • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
        New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
        New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
        Diversity in law enforcement
        Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
    • Health/Wellness
      • What threat does to the brain
        Seeking the right kind of help
        Working through grief
        Responding to trauma
        “Why does that call keep haunting me?”
    • Community
      • Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
        Committing to outreach
        Scam callers pose as law enforcement to trick victims into paying for...
        “Live every day like it’s your last”
        National Night Out 2023
    • Offbeat
      • California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
        Runaway lemur leads Missouri police on wild chase
        Alligator on the loose in New Jersey captured after two-week chase
        Traffic stop by TV’s Dog the Bounty Hunter’s son leads to...
        Bone-chilling: Human skull found in donation box at Arizona Goodwill...
    • We Remember
      • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
        Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
        Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
        Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • On the Job
    • Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
      Denver law enforcement struggle to divert low-level offenders to...
      “The good guys won …”
      “Service was running through his veins”: Condolences pour in for...
      Atlanta police officer and fire rescue captain save trapped driver...
  • Labor
    • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
      “A financial tsunami”
      LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
      Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
      We quit!
  • Tech
    • The rise of I2P
      Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
      Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
      AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
      Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
  • Training
    • Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
      CIT training is not for everyone
      Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
      Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
      Firearm instructors: Just be better!
  • Policy
    • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
      New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
      New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
      Diversity in law enforcement
      Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
  • Health/Wellness
    • What threat does to the brain
      Seeking the right kind of help
      Working through grief
      Responding to trauma
      “Why does that call keep haunting me?”
  • Community
    • Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
      Committing to outreach
      Scam callers pose as law enforcement to trick victims into paying for...
      “Live every day like it’s your last”
      National Night Out 2023
  • Offbeat
    • California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
      Runaway lemur leads Missouri police on wild chase
      Alligator on the loose in New Jersey captured after two-week chase
      Traffic stop by TV’s Dog the Bounty Hunter’s son leads to...
      Bone-chilling: Human skull found in donation box at Arizona Goodwill...
  • We Remember
    • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
      Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
      Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
      Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • Between the Lines
    • Debunking the perpetual narrative of racial bias in policing
      The unspoken truth behind the recruitment and retention crisis
      The police reform goal: use of force without options
      The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Health/Wellness

Tough day at work?

Adapting to and coping with stress

Medina Baumgart, Psy.D., ABPP Published September 23, 2021 @ 12:00 pm PDT

iStock.com/Ian Dyball

What do you do when you have a tough day at work? How do you shift and reset so that you can effectively recharge your mental, emotional and physical energy? Common ways to cope might include talking to a friend or family member, working on an enjoyable hobby, exercising, listening to music or a podcast, zoning out on a cellphone app or mindless television show, or having a few drinks. We all develop ways — both healthy and unhealthy — to manage the impact of stress from a tough day.

Law enforcement work is stressful to the body and mind, even on a good day. A certain amount of stress is needed for you to perform optimally and maintain functional hypervigilance on duty to keep you safe. However, as you acclimate to stress over time, you can become mentally numb to it while your body continues to physiologically experience stress. The accumulation of stress can impair your mental and emotional clarity, mental and emotional health, relationships and physical health. Now, imagine the added stress of having a tough day at work — a difficult call for service, non-stop calls, frustration with administration, dealing with hostile subjects or community members, or working a double shift.

The accumulation of stress can impair your mental and emotional clarity, mental and emotional health, relationships and physical health.

Think about how you experience stress. What physical, emotional and mental signs does your body give you that it is under stress? How do you feel when your stress is low, medium or high? The goal of building awareness about your own stress experience is so that you can, ideally, respond to stress in the moment or shortly thereafter. Many of you have already developed ways to decompress after a tough workday. However, not all coping skills work in every situation. On an especially tough day, you may need to modify or boost your usual ways of coping. 

Square peg, round hole. People can get stuck in a stressful state and become discouraged or frustrated when their usual way of coping is not working. Here are some warning signs: 

  • Activity level changes. Watch for significant sleep disturbance lasting more than one week. This could be sleeping too much or not enough. If this occurs, you may feel overly tired, unable to concentrate and irritable toward others. It is also important to look at your daily activity level — social isolation or disinhibited behavior can also be warning signs.
  • Interpersonal difficulties. Pay attention if you notice that you are “short” in conversation or find yourself experiencing more verbal arguments. You may have someone comment that you seem “grumpy,” “angry,” or “not your usual self.”  Alternatively, you may “shut down” and avoid human interaction. This includes your interactions with members of the public, acquaintances, co-workers, friends, family and romantic relationships.
  • Work-related difficulties. This could be work performance issues (tardiness, frequent callouts, forgetting equipment, report writing difficulties, etc.), decreased performance and/or high error rate, increased conflict or disengagement from co-workers, or impaired decision-making and judgment.
  • Substance use. Motivation matters. Drinking or using substances to feel better or not feel at all is problematic. Engaging in behaviors such as driving under the influence or carrying your firearm when intoxicated are also problematic. Additionally, engaging in promiscuous sexual activity, spending excessively and/or gambling as a means to feel better can also be signs of unhealthy coping.
iStock.com/Ildo_Frazao

Adapting coping skills. You will inevitably encounter a stressful situation when you feel that your usual way of coping is not working. If you do not manage your stress well and another stressful event occurs, you may be at risk for making bad decisions or handling a situation poorly, both on and off the job. Pay attention to the warning signs and adapt your coping skills ASAP. If you usually drink, try exercising instead. If you usually keep to yourself, try talking to a friend or family member. Some additional coping skills include breathing exercises, meditation, visualization and positive self-talk. You can also seek additional support from a member of the Peer Support Program, a chaplain or a counselor.

Remember that it is normal to experience a tough day at work, and you need to have a plan to cope with the stress. Keep in mind that the same coping skill may not work in every situation. Learn to recognize when you are beginning to cope ineffectively and know how to adapt. The goal is to reduce stress so that you are focused and functioning well at both work and at home. Take care of yourself!

Dr. Medina Baumgart is an organizational psychologist with the Psychological Services Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a board-certified specialist in police and public safety psychology. Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to her via email at drbaumgart@att.net. 

Medina Baumgart, Psy.D., ABPP

Medina Baumgart, Psy.D., ABPP

Dr. Medina Baumgart is a department “doc” and a board-certified specialist in police and public safety psychology. She is also the author of Surviving Retirement: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment Beyond the Badge. Correspondence concerning this article can be sent to drbaumgart@att.net.

View articles by Medina Baumgart, Psy.D., ABPP

As seen in the September 2021 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Health/Wellness

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect individuals with mental and neurological disorders
  • What threat does to the brain
  • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and takeovers
  • California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
  • Committing to outreach
  • Runaway lemur leads Missouri police on wild chase
  • Scam callers pose as law enforcement to trick victims into paying for missing jury duty
  • Seeking the right kind of help
  • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay amid staffing shortages
  • New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question passengers during traffic stops

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Options | Notice at Collection | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.