Police officers are constantly exposed to stress on the job. What can officers do to relieve this stres

and keep their body and mind healthy?

            As a first step, the textbook suggests (p. 91), “police officials should institute comprehensive stress management programs...” that involve counseling, screening, and training for officers to help them

learn to cope with their many stressors. This was based on a 1981 report, and since then many police departments have implemented such programs. In some extreme cases, the need for these is more

obvious, such as in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks- the NYPD required all 55,000 of its officers to undergo mental health counseling. But while such programs continue to be

made more available, a reluctance still persists for some officers to seek out help; this is due mainly to worries about confidentiality, and fears of a stigma being attached- in the police subculture, any

signs of “weakness” are taboo.

            In my opinion, the latter is a large part of the problem, and some significant shift system-wide needs to happen to give law enforcement officers a more realistic mindset (and this would apply to military personnel and other largely “macho” jobs/roles such as fire fighters). Society expects its police and its soldiers to be strong, silent types that can “suck it up”, remain cool, calm and collected... basically to be heroic. It's an unrealistic demand, and has carried over into how these men and women regard themselves. Their attempts to live up to these super-human ideals, and simultaneously keep all their fears and stress hidden; it's no wonder at all that they face much more stress than most people.

            But so far I've only addressed the problem at a macro level; what society and the institutions can do about it. There has to be a micro level adjustment as well- the individual also has their own personal responsibility to take care of their mental health. There are some obvious and time-tested solutions: Physical exercise, on a regular basis, can make a big impact on relieving stress. It goes without saying that this improves the body, and therefore its ability to deal with “fight or flight” situations. People in good shape feel better about themselves and have a more positive attitude. Exercise helps one to sleep better, and sleep problems are prevalent for law enforcement officers. A more sedentary individual, who never experiences the natural chemicals (such as endorphines) released by activity, is going to be far more likely to find a solution in some unnatural method, such as nicotine or alcohol. The text notes

that police officers are 300% more likely to become alcoholics than the average citizen, and I view that statistic as a very sad and ironic phenomenon, and very alarming too.

            There are other stress management options, including such things as yoga and meditation. But in light of the fact that a majority of police personnel tend to be fairly conservative in their philosophies, and perhaps view these skeptically- I propose a compromise that fits them very well, which is martial arts. Many of the various disciplines (karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc.) are a marriage of physical exercise with some excellent mental techniques, similar to meditation, that help quieten, focus, and

de-stress the mind. As I see it, this would be a win-win-win situation: the officer gets much needed exercise, enhances self-defense skills that will aid them on the job, and learns some ways to ease their stress.