Few things are as precarious as the work–life balance in our profession. Police work is a demanding job, sometimes to the point of being all-consuming, and can easily bleed over into our home life. But boundaries should be set. Family time should be just that — time with the family. That being said, it’s essential for a number of reasons that every police officer take steps to ensure that work stays at work.

As a young patrol officer, I had a great deal of difficulty balancing the two worlds. Often, I found myself spending far too much time at work or even thinking about work when I should’ve been focused on a young wife and baby. Hindsight is illuminating but does absolutely nothing to assuage guilt and remorse, nor does it reverse any damage that has been done. Moreover, the bouts of burnout I experienced in my career and the medical repercussions are things I deal with to this day. Regardless of where you are in your career, making sure you have a separate life from work will save you heartache and remorse later.

There’s a long list of things that contribute to an out-of-balance work–life routine: long shifts, staying over to complete a call or finish a report, off-duty court appearances, working overtime (on days off or between shifts), special work projects, etc. These things are predictably common in law enforcement. While we may not be able to avoid all of them, many of these things are ones we can and should.

Studies have shown that about 60% of U.S. workers feel their work–life balance is not good. Moreover, 77% of U.S. workers have experienced burnout in their job. These statistics are not even law enforcement specific. For those in the law enforcement profession, you can be sure it’s worse.

Effects of a poor work–life balance

What is the downside of being a workaholic? The symptoms may be mild in the beginning, but they increase in intensity and may have devastating results. Consider these:

• Exhaustion — this can include physical fatigue, higher stress levels and poor sleep.
• Emotional distance between you and those you care about, including family and friends
• Relationship problems
• Short temper, moodiness and lack of patience
• Negative thoughts about yourself and your responsibilities
• Job or career burnout
• Substance abuse
• Physical and mental health issues — hypertension, heart problems, weakened immune system and the effects of depression are just some of the possible negative consequences you can experience.

Our chosen profession comes with a lot of intrinsic stress. Every call you respond to, every traffic stop you make, every crime scene you see adds one more element of anxiety to a mound that you may not be aware is accumulating. This is the nature of police work. It has inherent struggles that you must learn to deal with in a healthy manner. Ignoring it and pushing it to the back of your mind will not work in the long term.

Unfortunately, some officers may feel trapped in their work life and are unable to make the necessary changes due to some circumstances outside of their control. This has accounted for a portion of the early departures from an otherwise promising law enforcement career.

It is your responsibility to take charge of your well-being, physically and mentally. Allowing your career to interfere with your personal life is entirely on you, though some supervisors and departments aren’t helping matters. With this in mind, you need to seek out ways to cope with keeping your job separate from your home life. There are some ways you can help deal with the struggles.

Coping strategies

Developing strategies for dealing with the work–life balance is a must. Let’s take a look at some ideas that may help you:

• Focus on your overall well-being (this includes exercise, meditative practices, eating better
  and staying mentally fit).
• Make a “to-do” list (give yourself personal projects or goals outside of your job).
• Adopt a hobby (or just doing some activity you enjoy in your off time).
• Set priorities at work and set the unimportant tasks aside for less stressful moments.
• Take time off as it is available and as you are able to do so.
• Develop a support team of family and friends.
• Set boundaries (learn to say no to the things you know you should).
• Train yourself to keep work issues at work (there may be times talking about work is therapeutic, but when you’re at home, try to make it about family, not your job).

Approaches supervisors and law enforcement agencies can employ

Police executives should seek the well-being of every employee. As employers, they too can help in nurturing healthy work–life balances. Here are a few ideas:

• Establish an employee assistance program (EAP). EAPs are relatively inexpensive and can provide department members with access to counseling (in-person, tele visits, etc.) and medical/mental health referral services.
• Allow for flexibility in shifts, days off and work hours.
• Provide more opportunities for earned paid time off.
• Promote and advocate for employee wellness regimens (i.e., paid gym memberships, incentives for good health, etc.).
• Train supervisors in recognizing signs and symptoms of burnout and stress.
• Provide “no questions asked” time off when employees show indications of burnout.

Unfortunately, there is no magical formula to make work–life balancing easier. You must develop your own system, implement it and stay true to the process. The balance is almost entirely in your hands.

Final considerations

Law enforcement officers are often their own worst enemies when it comes to recognizing a need to take a break or even slow down. We are trained to be high-speed, low-drag performers and seldom take the time for introspection. It’s important for all of us in this profession to disengage and do some self-examination about our personal situations. We make our own decisions about our well-being and should strive to maintain healthy relationships, know our limitations, employ boundaries and set a reasonable and productive pace at work.