Resilience and Self Care

Self-care is a priority and necessity, not a luxury, in the field of emergency services. Emergency services personnel work in dangerous or highly stressful environments which can put their psychological well-being at risk as much as their physical health. Emergency communicators are also at a high risk of these stressors, not necessarily from a physical perspective but from an auditory one - they cannot unhear what they have heard and can be considered to be the 'first' first responder on scene. These auditory triggers can affect an emergency communicator's stress level as well as their ability to cope. This course will focus on proactively taking steps to help emergency communicators maintain and/or improve their mental well-being, which will in turn help protect them from the impacts of psychological risk inherent with the profession. We will also explore the various stresses and occupational stress injuries and ways to mitigate the possible long-term negative consequences of not dealing with such stressors in a healthy manner. Resiliency and self-care practices will create the foundation for a self-care/resiliency toolkit the students can take forward as they enter this challenging career.