Stress and stress management in the police force

Aerobic Exercise Your second exercise session should focus upon an aerobic exercise that uses repetitive motion, such as running, walking, or a stair stepping machine. The better educated that people are about the difference between the two, the more effectively the issues surrounding them can be resolved.

We have found some off the wall and unique ideas that could help ease stress. When talking about stress, think about an amalgamation of not getting on with a superior, your patrol car not being serviced, having to work overtime and being denied holiday dates.

It was found that females working within the police force were far more likely to score highly on stress indicators than their male counterparts. Soaking in a tub of beer is apparently relaxing. They call their system the "Rx3x": This suggests that those who were suffering from stress at work are generally more stress-prone.

A high pressure job such law enforcement often involves employees taking on an even higher workload than their brief states.

Police Officers Managing Stress

More funding in deprived sectors can ease workloads and make the working environment a more relaxed and enjoyable place to be, therefore reducing stress levels. A good way to strengthen your family relationships is taking the time to spend with them or calling to check in on your family at some point during your shift, if possible.

Stress Management Tips for Police Officers

Relaxation Your third session is a relaxation session. If you think in terms of your family having to do without you, taking that step forward to help yourself seems like an easy thing to do. Currently, we are continuing to examine police officers as part of our study of the entire Buffalo Police Department.

Restlessness and insomnia can develop into a vicious cycle, leaving an individual never fully rested and never able to relax and recharge. Lowered sex drive A loss of libido and sexual desire is often be linked to periods of chronic stress, and the private lives of police officers can sometimes suffer as a result.

Officers with higher post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD symptoms had a nearly two-fold reduction in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, indicating greater impairment of endothelial function physiologic dysfunction of the normal biochemical processes carried out by the cells which line the inner surface of blood vessels than officers with fewer PTSD symptoms.


A number of detailed studies have helped to quantify the prevalence of police officer stress issues. Wanting to protect citizens is noble and requires a lot of strength, but letting that responsibility weigh on your shoulders can end up being a great strain to many officers.

Peer Counseling Some police departments offer peer counseling programs, where officers can go to other officers. Wanting to protect people is a noble goal, but shouldering that responsibility can be a source of great strain to some.

Organizational Stress Management A better allocation of financial resources within the police department can often go a long way to easing the working stresses of some employees. Sometimes, officers are uncomfortable with the idea of using a counselor in house because they would like to maintain their privacy.

The continual effort to smother these emotional responses can be very stressful in the long term. The responsibility of protecting the lives of citizens Whilst police officers may seem like bastions of strength and stability to members of the public, the responsibility of being our first line of defense is not one that can be taken lightly.

Officers, like those in the ER or counselors, spend an above average time around those suffering. There has been an increasing level of awareness in the industry regarding the stress that officers are required to manage.

This plan, even if all changes are not effected immediately, will show stressed officers that improvements in their work environment are forthcoming. You can be a strong person for them, but they can also be a source of strength and comfort for you. Of these, lack of organizational fairness and job dissatisfaction were most strongly correlated with self-reported perceived work stress.

The Heartmath Research Center is a good example of a program that targets the on-the-job stressors for police officers. Although a warm lavender bath would probably have the same effect and not be so sticky, a beer bath could result in some laughs, which also reduce stress.

It is against the culture of officers to reach out for helpbut the daily stress of the job is enough to increase your risk for disease, which can in turn decrease your life span and your quality of life.

Symptoms of Police Stress Working in an occupation that poses such a high risk of stress-related problems, individuals that work in the police force can show a number of varied and differing physical symptomsas well as behavioral changes.

Stress management is important to prevent the onset of problems with home life, health issues, and mental health. Engaging in an all round healthier lifestyle is a good way to begin reducing stress.

The survey found a significant association between poor mental health, high levels of stress and gender. The Vitamin C makes you less anxious. These include diet, exercise, mind-body techniques and much more. Was this page useful?A Stress Management Prescription for Law Enforcement and Police Officers Stress and all the physiological impacts it has upon a law enforcement officer’s body and mind are a major contributing factor to many of the ills that befall police officers and other law enforcement professionals.

source of departments historically have been structured On-the-Job Stress in Policing—Reducing It, Preventing It 20 stood by all mint-body.comr or not stress is increasing, identifying the Total quality management (TQM) teams will.

Stress Management for Police Officers. Stress is by no means permanent, and it can be managed or reduced through a number of effective methods. Stress can be tackled both on a personal level and at an organizational level.

Police Force Affected by Stress

Personal Stress Management. Try to avoid using alcohol, nicotine and caffeine as coping mechanisms in an attempt to ease. How police can reduce and manage stress. Poor management; the National Institute of Justice was assigned the task of sponsoring research on police stress, establishing pilot programs to.

Enduring stress for a long period of time can lead to anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a psychological condition marked by an inability to be intimate, inability to sleep, increased nightmares, increased feelings of guilt and reliving the event.

For law. Jun 30,  · As an ex-Australian police officer, The biggest source of police stress for me was management and culture. Very few incidents on the street were a cause of stress. I have worked in a number of other places before joining the police and I have to say that the police force is about years behind the rest of society.

Stress and stress management in the police force
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