First Responder Stress: Creating Space to Detach from Duty

Stress for first responders is a serious and growing issue. The constant vigilance and high-stakes nature of the job can make it incredibly difficult to truly clock out, even after a shift ends. Here’s a clear and actionable guide on how stress create space for first responders to help you detach, decompress, and reclaim your personal life.

How can a first responder effectively detach from work?

First responders can effectively detach from work by creating a dedicated space at home specifically for unwinding. This space should be intentionally free of work-related items, allowing them to mentally and physically clock out and focus on personal hobbies and interests.

The importance of stepping back from the constant stress of duty can’t be overstated. Keep reading to discover why creating a personal space is vital for your well-being and how to make that space work for you.

Creating a Space to Detach From Duty

First responder stress is more common than ever. Responders are trained to expect the unexpected and be prepared for dangerous scenarios at any time. While this mentality leads to an ever-vigilant eye while one is in high-stress scenarios, it can also be a major strain on one’s mental and emotional health even while off-duty.

Being able to step back and detach from duty is essential to give the body and mind a break from the stresses confronted in the field as a first responder. Having a dedicated space where one can put aside the stresses of their job and focus on themselves can help them achieve the necessary mental respite and create a healthy work-life balance. Furthermore, it can ensure that one’s mind and body have had a chance to rest and rejuvenate before returning to the field.

First Responder Stress: The Importance of Stepping Back

It can be difficult for first responders to allow themselves to step back from the feeling that they are constantly on duty. For some, this can be a result of one’s training to always be aware of one’s surroundings and to steel oneself for any kind of encounter. Others may find the idea of relaxation inherently difficult as a result of workplace stresses or trauma.

Having regularly experienced disaster, violence, injury, and other intense, stressful situations, the idea that one can let down their guard may feel extraordinarily dangerous. First responders are in the unique position where not only must they be aware of the worst-case scenario, but they may have also lived through these kinds of situations.

However, being able to detach from work is still vitally important for one’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Stress can cause a major strain on the mind, producing feelings of anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, or even paranoia as thoughts of worst-case scenarios arise.

Neglecting to provide the mind with a break from these intense emotions can then impact one’s ability to sleep or tend to other duties. This can create inconsistent sleep schedules, insomnia, or difficulty maintaining focus. These repercussions can even affect relationships, family, or one’s hobbies.

The stress of maintaining this defensive mental and physical stature difficulty maintaining focus both on and off the clock can also affect an individual physically. They may experience hypertension that creates aches, pains, or cramps. Headaches can become a consistent discomfort, as well.

Without having a break, these physical and mental symptoms can quickly begin to seep into one’s professional life. Not only can they comprise one’s home routines but also their decision-making skills and reaction time while in the field.

How Stress Creates Space for First Responders: Building an Effective Retreat

Beginning to step back and detach from one’s job can be a complicated ordeal. It is important to create a space with the conscious intention of truly getting mentally and physically off the clock. Physically clocking out can indicate one’s ability to go home, but does not necessarily mean an individual can mentally check out from the stresses and experiences of the workplace.

The Person Makes the Job

First responders are still people above all else. It is important to remember that while first responders hold incredibly important jobs, they are more than their job title. Having a hobby and personal interests outside of work, in whatever form this may take, is something that is wholly one’s own.

There is no reason to be ashamed of these interests. Activities such as enjoying comic books, working on automobiles, painting, or running a fantasy sports league with friends outside of work can all be great ways to embrace the whole of one’s identity. These hobbies can help one avoid feeling confined to the boundaries of a job title and help create a divide between one’s professional and personal identity.

Announce the Space

Having a dedicated space means that it overtly exists to detach from work. Whether this is a lounge, garage, or one’s bedroom, making it a known space to detach can help quell any work talk that may otherwise come up.

This can also prompt an individual to leave their work phones outside of this space so they cannot be contacted while they are off the clock. This serves as a reminder that this time for oneself is just as important as their time on the job.

Get Creative With It

Giving oneself agency over their space can mean many things. The ability to decorate this space how one wants, control the elements within, and make it as personal and home-like as possible are all important.

Not only can this challenge an individual to explore their own identity outside work, but also to fill this space with enjoyable and comfortable elements that can be actively controlled and adjusted as desired. Posters, seating, televisions, video games, or a personal library are all ways to make this space one’s own without incorporating workplace elements.

Balance Time With Coworkers

Having friends in the workplace can make each day on the job easier, especially if first responders feel a certain level of trust, protection, and understanding between each other. However, spending all of one’s time both on and off the clock with these peers can make it feel like work truly never ends.

Workplace talk, gossip, and stresses are sure to surface. Limiting one’s time doing after-work activities with these friends can help an individual mentally detach from this kind of focus. Doing so can also provide them with more time to explore their own interests and identity outside the workplace.

Frequently Ask Questions:

• Why is it so difficult for first responders to detach from their job?

For some first responders, detaching from their job can be difficult because their training makes them constantly aware of their surroundings. For others, the stress and trauma from their work can make relaxation feel dangerous.

• How can stress affect a first responder’s personal life?

The stress of the job can lead to anxiety, depression, or hypervigilance, which can then affect sleep, focus, and personal relationships with family and friends.

• What physical symptoms can first responders experience from job stress?

First responders may experience physical symptoms like hypertension, chronic aches, pains, cramps, and frequent headaches due to the stress of maintaining a defensive physical and mental state.

• How can hobbies help a first responder?

Hobbies and personal interests can help first responders embrace their whole identity outside of their job title. This creates a healthy divide between their professional and personal life.

• Should a first responder spend time with coworkers off the clock?

While having friends at work is important, spending too much time with coworkers outside of work can make it feel like the job never ends, as workplace talk and stress are likely to come up.

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For many first responders, the journey toward creating a healthy work-life balance is a shared challenge, and we're here to help you navigate it. At Chateau Health and Wellness Treatment Center, we understand the unique pressures you face and have created a supportive environment where you can truly detach and heal. If you or a loved one are struggling to find that necessary mental and emotional respite, we invite you to take the first step with us. Our team is ready to listen and work with you to build a personalized path forward. Please call us at (435) 222-5225 to learn more about how we can support your journey toward well-being.

About The Author

Ben Pearson, LCSW, Clinical Director

Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director

With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.

Danny Warner, CEO

Danny Warner, CEO of Chateau Health and Wellness

Brings a wealth of experience in business operations, strategic alliances, and turnaround management, with prior leadership roles at Mediconnect Global, Klever Marketing, and WO Investing, Inc. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Economics and History, Danny has a proven track record of delivering results across diverse industries. His most transformative role, however, was as a trail walker and counselor for troubled teens at the Anasazi Foundation, where he directly impacted young lives, a personal commitment to transformation that now drives his leadership at Chateau.

Austin Pederson, Executive Director

Austin Pederson, Executive Director of Chateau Health and Wellness

Brings over eight years of experience revolutionizing mental health and substance abuse treatment through compassionate care and innovative business strategies. Inspired by his own recovery journey, Austin has developed impactful programs tailored to individuals facing trauma and stress while fostering comprehensive support systems that prioritize holistic wellness. His empathetic leadership extends to educating and assisting families, ensuring lasting recovery for clients and their loved ones.