Editor’s note: This article is part of Police1’s Emergency Communications Week, which looks at how dispatch is changing — from smarter tools and automated routine tasks to new approaches that reduce unnecessary 911 demand. Thanks to our Emergency Communications Week sponsor, Autura.
Many Americans experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety. For those who serve as a lifeline to the public during these uncertain times, the stress level is especially compounded.
We must ensure 911 professionals take proactive measures to prioritize their mental health and well-being now more than ever.
What studies show about dispatcher stress
Studies that explore the mental and physical risks posed by the cumulative stress of a 911 career provide evidence of what 911 professionals have known for years: the job takes a toll.
Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout result from being exposed to the suffering of others, manifesting as lower feelings of life satisfaction, depression, anxiety, weight gain and other negative health effects.
While the evidence is clear and the effects striking, one doesn’t quit the job they love to escape this grim reality. In fact, a 2015 study by Dr. Michelle Lilly and Christy Allen highlighted both an immediate challenge and an opportunity.
The study found a significant correlation between respondents’ level of psychological inflexibility and their experience of symptoms of stress, including dissociation, neuroticism, anger and emotional dysregulation. That is, 9-1-1 dispatchers who are rigidly stuck in habitual ways of thinking experience more stress as a result of the job. They grow more emotionally distant (or numb) over time, are more prone to negative thinking and rumination, are more apt to get angry, and are less able to manage intense emotions. These effects have been shown to cause diminished work performance, depression, substance abuse and lower quality of life. That’s the challenging news.
Also contained in this statistic is the opportunity. By improving our psychological flexibility, we can reverse these effects, even during a pandemic.
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What is psychological flexibility?
Psychological flexibility means holding your thoughts and emotions a little more lightly, then choosing actions that align with your long-term values and goals instead of short-term impulses. It’s how you adapt to changing demands, shift your perspective and balance competing needs.
In fast-changing, high-stress environments, that flexibility often starts with noticing your thoughts and taking better care of yourself.
How much time do you spend replaying something that happened to you or someone you know? Maybe you revisit the moment again and again, focusing on how unfair it was. As that loop continues, your stress rises. Your ability to think clearly, focus and move forward starts to shrink.
Many Type-A overachievers fall into this trap, spinning themselves into negativity and anxiety. It’s hard to provide good customer service to the next caller when you’re still angry about the last one. And it’s nearly impossible to enjoy time at home when your mind is stuck in overdrive.
| RELATED: Who’s checking on dispatch? The hidden emotional toll of emergency communications
How to stop ruminating and refocus
When rumination makes you feel stuck, there are a few ways to catch yourself and refocus:
- Establish a time limit. “Venting and complaining are good!” one of my coworkers used to say. And while it’s true that talking things out and getting difficult emotions “off your chest” can have a therapeutic effect, complaining all day long has the opposite effect. Instead, ask a good friend, “Can I have five minutes of your time?” and then leave it at that. Write in a notebook for 15 furious minutes and then see how you feel.
- Keep an open mind. When you notice that you’re stuck thinking about something, try to see another perspective. Is it possible there’s another side to the story? Maybe it wasn’t as personal as you initially thought. Try to empathize with the other person’s point of view, and then let go.
- Create boundaries. If you frequently take on other people’s problems, you may be facing an opportunity to say “no.” Instead of building a case for the perceived injustice, use the situation to grow. Rather than remaining hurt or angry, come from a place of strength and understanding.
Practice self-care
Managing negative thoughts and reducing stress becomes easier when you make self-care a regular practice. Self-care is any intentional action that supports your physical, mental or emotional health. It’s also a key part of building resilience for the stressors you can’t remove from your life.
Still, many caregivers view self-care as selfish or indulgent. As a result, they avoid it until they feel overwhelmed, exhausted and less equipped to handle life’s challenges. But you can’t give from an empty tank. To keep showing up for the people who depend on you, you need a self-care routine that helps sustain you, too.
Over the next few days, reflect on how well you’re taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally:
- Are you planning downtime?
- Are you doing the things you enjoy?
- Are you getting enough sleep and exercise?
Dispatchers spend long hours seated, focused and under pressure, which can lead to neck, shoulder and back tension. In this video, Lexipol Senior Strategic Wellness Director Mandy Nice demonstrates a simple seated stretch designed to relieve stiffness, improve posture and provide a quick physical and mental reset during the workday.
When you realize you’ve neglected a part of your life, make a plan to change it. Check in with yourself, then write down one specific thing you can do in the next week to prioritize your well-being. Schedule it, protect it and enjoy it. Start small and see where it takes you.
One dispatcher in Memphis reconnected with her passion for the job by taking 10 minutes each day to listen to upbeat music, focus on gratitude and remind herself why she chose this work in the first place.
Over time, small shifts in thinking can lead to meaningful change, building the resilience needed during difficult times. When uncertainty feels constant, it helps to remember that you still have the power to choose.
This article, originally published on November 23, 2020, has been updated.
