Editor’s Note: Join Lexipol, Police1 and our partners for First Responder Wellness Week from March 23-27, 2026. Each day, we’ll provide webinars, articles, videos and more, all within the overarching theme of being “Total Wellness. True Readiness.” Register for five wellness webinars now.
By Logan Hartsog, MSW LGSW
“Sometimes the shift ends, but your body still thinks it’s on duty.”
Most of us remember our early days in law enforcement. Not just the calls, mistakes, and incidents, but also a sense of something changing within ourselves.
We spend a considerable amount of time training new officers on officer safety, tactics, policy and decision-making. Those things matter and should receive significant attention. But alongside that learning curve, another change is happening quietly in the background. It is rarely discussed, often misunderstood, and yet plays an important role in how officers develop over time.
| REGISTER: Access five wellness webinars built for real-world readiness
New officers are adjusting to a level of responsibility, exposure and scrutiny that most people never experience. During this time, many new officers show early stress responses that are common, understandable and often temporary. Early stress responses usually do not appear concerning on their own, especially when performance is strong. In many cases, these same responses can support short-term functioning before creating problems later down the road.
When recognized early, stress responses can be understood in ways that support long-term performance, without lowering standards or expectations.
What FTOs and supervisors tend to notice first
In many cases, field training officers and supervisors are present during a new officer’s first difficult scene or critical incident. They also work alongside the officer in the days, weeks and months that follow. This puts them in a unique position to observe not only how an officer responds during the incident, but how those responses present over time.
This does not mean something is “wrong.” Many early stress responses are common and adaptive, especially when the officer is performing well. Strong performance can make this easy to overlook — and it makes sense. The officer appears to be meeting expectations.
What tends to stand out is consistency over time. Responses that repeat, persist, intensify or show up across different contexts carry more meaning than one-time reactions. When patterns arise repeatedly, they become easier to recognize and more useful to pay attention to.
In the video below, learn five key questions that can help first responders recognize stress, identify its root causes and begin building a personal resilience plan.
Why “nothing is wrong” may still require a check in
Many early stress responses do not indicate a problem and often resolve on their own.
An officer may be performing well, meeting standards and functioning effectively on shift. In these situations, a check-in is not about correction or concern. The value of a check-in is to understand whether the officer is recovering as expected over time — and if a professional referral is appropriate. The check-in is not a “counseling session,” but a brief discussion focused on emerging patterns before they escalate into larger issues over time that affect performance, well-being or retention.
| RELATED: Mental wellness check-ins: What they are and how they help
What this looks like in practice
In practice, check-ins tend to be brief, private conversations, as opposed to formal performance reviews or disciplinary processes.
The focus is on observable changes over time — and the depth of the conversation is left up to the officer. The intent is not to provide counseling, but to acknowledge what’s being noticed and make it clear that support is available if needed. For example, this may involve acknowledging a difficult call and checking whether the officer is decompressing as expected. A check-in can sound like:
- “The other day was rough. Were you able to calm down at home after?”
- “How’s things been at home since then?”
- “People are usually tired after training. Are you able to recover? Is it working?”
- “A lot of people handle calls like that differently. How are you holding up?”
Although there is no single moment that signals the need for help in every situation, referral to agency resources such as clinicians, peer support and chaplaincy becomes more urgent when early signs of stress intensify, persist or begin to affect rest, relationships or decision-making.
Over time, this tends to show up in a few common ways. The examples below reflect common early stress responses that are frequently observed during field training and the early days of solo patrol:
- Disassociation after difficult calls: This is often described as “it didn’t feel real,” “it looked like something from a movie,” “it looked like a dead deer,” or “it’s just part of the job.” These reactions are common early on and can help an officer stay functional in the moment. Over time, especially after repeated exposure, this may result in emotional flatness, irritability or difficulty decompressing after the shift. When this happens, it is often noticed at home, during off days and throughout interactions with family.
- Difficulty turning off after the shift: Early in their career, some officers stay mentally “on duty” long after the shift ends. This may look like constant scanning for threats, trouble relaxing, difficulty sleeping or strongly defining identity through the job. The same physiological conditioning that supports officer safety on shift is not always helpful in other settings. When you struggle to disengage, it can contribute to fatigue, burnout and relationship strain over time.
- Heightened nervousness or reactivity under supervision: This may appear as increased tension, jumpiness, or guarded behavior around FTOs or supervisors. It often emerges during periods of evaluation and training difficulty. This is not necessarily a lack of confidence, but a stress response to scrutiny, responsibility and the fear of making mistakes in an environment with significant consequences. Over time, this can affect trust in one’s decision-making or increased avoidance of perceived risk.
- Emotional flattening or “nothing really bothers me": It is common for new officers to show little visible emotional reaction after calls and may minimize the impact with statements like “it doesn’t bother me” or “it’s just part of the job.” Early on, this is often an adaptive way to remain functional during difficult situations. If this persists over time, it may limit emotional processing and later show up as detachment from loved ones, irritability and difficulty connecting to others outside of work.
- Fatigue and reduced energy as training progresses: Toward the end of field training or the first few months of solo patrol, some officers show noticeable fatigue, reduced enthusiasm or lower proactivity. This is often not due to a lack of motivation or work ethic but related to cumulative stress, sleep disruption and sustained hypervigilance. Their body is finally catching up. When performance remains adequate, this can be easily overlooked.
| RELATED: Understanding and mitigating the risks of cortisol and chronic stress on police officers
None of these responses automatically indicate a problem. What matters most is whether they continue, intensify, or begin to affect job performance, relationships and quality of life. In many cases, the same responses that support short-term functioning early in a career can be difficult to sustain over time. What helps an officer get through the early phases of the job may eventually require intentional recovery and support if continued.
Supporting performance through early awareness
An experienced officer once said, “Sometimes the shift ends, but your body still thinks it’s on duty.” Early stress responses are not a sign of weakness or of being unsuitable for the job. In many cases, they reflect a nervous system adapting to a profession with sustained exposure, threat, responsibility and consequence.
For field training officers and supervisors, the goal is not to diagnose or lower standards. It is to notice patterns early, understand if an officer is recovering as expected and provide support when needed. Strong performance can coexist with early stress responses, especially in the first phases of training and solo patrol.
When identified early, stress responses can be recognized and managed in ways that preserve performance, support good decision-making and promote career longevity — without compromising expectations or accountability. Awareness and appropriate support do not compromise standards. They help sustain them. When the body stays “on duty” after the shift ends, early awareness can keep the career intact.
NEXT: Unload your backpack: 8 strategies to improve police health, wellness and resilience
References and additional reading
- Gilmartin K. (2002). Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families (revised). E-S Press.
- Kurtz DL, Zavala E, Melander LA. (2015). The Influence of Early Strain on Later Strain, Stress Responses, and Aggression by Police Officers. Criminal Justice Review, 40(2), 190-208.
- Van der Kolk B. (2014). The body keeps the score. Brain, mind, and body in healing trauma. Penguin Books.
- Violanti JM, et al. Police stressors and health: a state-of-the-art review. Policing. 2017 Nov;40(4):642-656.
About the author
Logan Hartsog, MSW LGSW is a law enforcement officer, field training officer and mental health professional in West Virginia. He writes about police mental health and related topics.
