The Value of Resilience to Emotional Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  In support of this important awareness campaign, and especially our passion for promoting mental health awareness among first responders, our last three articles have highlighted important issues all of us in the law enforcement community.  Today we look at one of the most important qualities necessary to foster and maintain emotional wellness, resilience. 

Our favorite definition of resilience is “that human quality that allows one to be buffeted by life, disappointed, knocked down, and defeated again and again, yet pick themselves up to take on new challenges, try a new approaches, or refuse to accept failure as a final outcome.  It is the ability to recover from difficulties, to learn and grow from adversity, and develop behavioral flexibility and emotional toughness.”  It is actually a trait most of us are born with but, unless we take steps to protect and nurture, can be eroded to leave us psychologically vulnerable.

Defining and understanding resilience

Dr Martin Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues have spent years studying how some people learn helplessness in the face of adversity and disappointment while others remain resilient.  Resilient people understand setbacks are disappointing but temporary and refuse to let failure define them or their qualities, instead seeing each as opportunities to learn, grow, and recalibrate.  Their sense of perspective is healthy.  Of course, like anyone else, they experience setbacks, disappointments, or failure with all the accompanying anger, frustration, and even depression or PTSD. There is a difference, however, from those whose resilience fades; Seligman has determined the key trait behind positivity and resilience is optimism.  The optimistic quickly step back, seek to reframe the experience(s), work through their emotions, and forge a way forward.  The resilient refuse to become trapped in failure.

Perhaps most importantly, Seligman and his colleagues have shown that that resilience can be restored when it seems lost and strengthened when it’s been battered.  While there are many things you can do and steps to take, we believe the following are the simplest and most direct path to strong resilience for law enforcement officers and their families.

Remember the importance of perspective

We lean heavily on instinct and first impressions when thinking about why something happened or the motivations of others.  These are formed from our experience and coming to trust our own ability to correctly judge and understand others.  The problem is how easy it is to become overconfident and myopic.  We need to start questioning own conclusions, beliefs, and understandings because healthy self-skepticism forces us to consider different perspectives, and think of things with fresh perspective which leads to intellectual and emotional growth.  It may seem paradoxical to say “be skeptical of yourself” but it’s not; a lack of healthy self-skepticism fosters rigidity of thought and belief and, when these schemas are challenged or simply don’t work, rigidity hampers our ability to make adjustments and maintain resilient self-confidence.

Focus on healthy relationships

The quality and strength of relationships are strong predictors of emotional health, happiness, and resilience.  Even when other factors negatively impact happiness and mental health, healthy connections are stabilizing.  When our relationships are limited to those whose worldview and experiences are largely similar to our own we lose sight of outside points-of-view and have our prejudices and fears reinforced.  This is a common problem for law enforcement officers who tend to “stick with their own” in the interest of a sense of safety and acceptance.  Again, it may seem counterintuitive, but forming healthy relationships across a broad spectrum of people actually enhances wellness.

Take care of your physical health to take care of your mental health

Exercise, paying close attention to your health, eating well and avoiding “slow poisons” we love so much (processed food… just don’t do it), and getting proper rest should be no-brainers but are neglected by far too many people, and police officers are very susceptible like anyone else.  Our emotional resilience is negatively affected when we neglect our physical health, not surprisingly; good physical health and rest are important to meet challenges with resilience.

Adopting a physical self-care plan and sticking to it works wonders for our endurance, how we feel, and even our intellectual acuity.  Good physical health is an important component for having the strength to take care of our mental health.

Remember to be “More Than a Cop”

Focusing on being more than who you are as an officer never hurts your role as a cop, it can only enhance it.  Here is what we know and preach, and what most experienced officers will affirm:  the job, at times (but obviously not always) will bring you down, disappoint you, twist your perspective, and break your heart.  Have other identities you can draw strength from, find success in, and growing your resilience.  Being diverse is one of the best ways to you can stay resilient. 

It makes sense; when one area of life isn’t working or faces challenges that threaten resilience, emotional wellness, or your sense of purpose, being able to recharge in another offers respite and confidence.  Law enforcement is a profession that takes a lot from those who work in it, so diversity is essential.