What does “Mental Health” mean to a First Responder?
By Staff Sargent Beth Millard
As I start my 21st year in policing, I am reminded of how the profession has drastically changed in
the last two decades. The demands and expectations have increased dramatically over the years
and we are expected to be “super hero’s” at work and instead of a cape, we wear an armoured
vest. The same is true about parenting. We are expected to know it all, not have a bad day and do
everything in our power to protect our children. However, if we are suffering mentally, how can
we fulfill both of these demanding roles?
When we talk about our physical health, we have a pretty good idea of where we stand. This may
include: a needle on a scale, how are pants fit, or if we are winded after climbing a flight of stairs.
These are the obvious signs of when we need to get more physically active. The not-so-obvious
signs may come from our family doctors or specialists through our blood pressure readings,
cholesterol levels and other medical tests. However, when it comes to mental health, how do we
know when we are mentally fit?
Mental health training in many first responder organizations explained what it meant to be in the
“green”, and includes signs such as normal mood fluctuations, calm, taking things in strides, good
sense of humour, performing well, normal sleep patterns, good energy levels, and socially active.
These are the obvious signs of good mental health. Knowing and being aware of when we are
sliding out of the green and down the mental health continuum (diagram #1 – below ) should be a “red” flag that our mental health is not good. This is when we take the opportunity to start
implementing skills we have learned to get back to the green. Similar to hitting the gym and
adjusting our diets – mental health is no different.
If you are in the orange (injured) or the red (illness) then this is where you will need to complete
psychological testing followed by an interview with a clinical psychologist. By completing this
assessment, the psychologist is able to give you a fuller picture and most likely a diagnosis similar
to a physical injury.
Understanding and taking care of your own mental health will only make you stronger and a
better parent. I consider myself to float in and out of green and yellow depending on the time of
day. However, if we take mental health one step further what does being “green” really look like?
According to Amy Morin, “it comes from the daily practise of pushing yourself to grow stronger,
maintaining realistic optimism, and setting healthy boundaries”. Further she states,
“Mentally strong people don’t do things like waste time, feeling sorry for themselves or give away
their power to other people”.
I’ve included an additional 7 examples below. When reading the list, ask yourself where do you
fall on the mental health continuum and how green are you.
- You balance emotions with logic – mentally strong people understand how their emotions
can influence their thinking. - You feel confident in your ability to adapt to change – mentally strong people know that
although change is uncomfortable, it’s tolerable. They focus their energy on adapting to change,
rather than resisting it. - You view life’s hardships as opportunities for growth – while hardship causes some people
to grow bitter, mentally strong people let adversity make them better. - You balance self-acceptance with self-improvement – mentally strong people accept
themselves for who they are, while simultaneously recognizing their need for personal
development. - You genuinely celebrate other people’s success – mentally strong people cooperate, rather
than compete with those around them. They don’t feel as though other people’s success somehow
diminishes their own achievements. - You bounce back from failure – mentally strong people don’t view failure as the end of the
road. Instead, they use their failed attempts for opportunities to gain knowledge that will increase
their chances of success in the future. - Your self-worth depends on who are, not what you achieve – mentally strong people feel
good about themselves, whether they win or lose.
With sincere gratitude to Staff Sergeant Beth Milliard,
Peel Regional Police Services and Board Director, Resilient Kids Canada
