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November 24, 2019
Whether you’re bracing for a busy week at the firehouse or putting out your own fires at a chaotic family gathering, gratitude may be the last thing on your mind this Thanksgiving.
Gratitude, the state of being thankful and appreciative, has also been studied by the scientific community as a positive emotion linked to numerous positive health outcomes.
As a fire fighter or paramedic, you work hard to balance the demands of your career, family, health, community and maybe even a second job. If juggling the demands has become overwhelming, or practicing gratitude seems like a joke, you may be experiencing burnout.
The next time you find yourself aggravated by the challenges of the day, consider how taking a moment to count your blessings can pay off, both on and off the job:
Despite your best efforts to take care of yourself, has the cumulative stress of the job or home life become too much? If you have thought about getting help for yourself or a crew member, call the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery for a free, confidential, no-obligation screening. The IAFF Center of Excellence is a comprehensive treatment center designed exclusively for IAFF members struggling with PTSD, addiction and other co-occurring mental health problems.
Lauren Kosc, M.A.,LCPC is a behavioral health specialist, clinician and blog writer for the International Association of Fire Fighters. If you are an IAFF member in recovery and want to share your story, contact [email protected]
Sources:
“Practicing Gratitude Can be Good for Mental Health and Well-Being.” American Psychiatric Association, August 2017. Accessed October 15, 2019.
Emmon, Robert. “Gratitude and Well-Being.” University of California, Davis, 2017. Accessed October 21, 2019.
Gordon AM, Impett EA, Kogan A, Oveis C, & Keltner D (2012). “To have and to hold: gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds.” Journal of personality and social psychology, 2012. Accessed October 15, 2019.
Digdon, Nancy; Koble, Amy. “Effects of Constructive Worry, Imagery Distraction, and Gratitude Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Pilot Trial.” Applied Psychology: Health & Well-being, May 24, 2011. Accessed October 15, 2019.
Wood, AM; Joseph, S; Lloyd, J; Atkins, S. “Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research, November 22, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2019.
Kashdan, Todd. Uswatte, Gitendra; Julian, Terri. “Gratitude and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in Vietnam war veterans.” Behaviour Research and Therapy, February 2006. Accessed October 21, 2019.
Fredrickson, Barbara. “What Good Are Positive Emotions in Crises? A Prospective Study of Resilience and Emotions Following the Terrorist Attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, February 2003. Accessed October 21, 2019.