By Mike Cyra
If there‘s one thing you can count on when you work in EMS, it‘s stress. You will be putting yourself in the middle of intense, high-stress situations on a regular basis. But that‘s half the fun.
I‘ve always felt that there is good stress and bad stress. Take for instance, skydiving = good stress. Being the EMT at an elderly nudist resort = bad stress.
So here are four stress busters that I recommend:
1. A Sense of Humor
Having a sense of humor is essential. If you don‘t have one, get one! Buy one, borrow one or just be aware of those who have one.
Learn to laugh at yourself. That alone will wipe out huge amounts of stress on and off the job. Nobody wants to work with a stick-in-the-mud.
Humor breaks down all sorts of barriers:
- Language
- Fear
- Pain
- Aggression
Laughing releases endorphins, which help relieve pain and induce feelings of pleasure and euphoria. And who doesn‘t love euphoria?
Humor is a crucial coping mechanism when you‘re routinely exposed to human tragedy. Use it wisely and often. It‘s powerful medicine.
2. Be good at what you do.
Actually knowing what you‘re doing is a big stress buster. Learn, learn some more and keep learning.
Know your job inside out. Practice your skills until you can do them blindfolded while your cat hawks up a furball on your lap and someone is screaming at the top of their lungs that they can‘t breathe.
Patient and partner anxiety go through the roof when they see a timid, unsure person struggling to put rubber gloves on. It‘s OK to be new. Everybody starts somewhere, just do it with confidence
3. Have a second passion that isn‘t EMS.
In other words, get a life. Have a hobby. Do something that takes your mind and body away from ambulances and bodily fluids and hospitals and people that don‘t smell so good. Bake gourmet soup, hunt Sasquatch or be a naked EMT who hangs with old people. Spend time with people you love.
I used to skydive and ride motorcycles. The point is to get away, take a break and decompress.
4. Communicate.
Find someone in your life that you can confide in and talk to about what you do for a living. Maybe it‘s your partner, the Pope or a really good bartender … I‘m kidding! The Pope is far too busy a man.
Communicate your feelings. If you find yourself making French toast using gauze sponges and freaking out because they don‘t taste good, it‘s time to seek out and find a professional who helps emergency workers. It‘s OK. Everyone needs a little help at some point in time. A good place to start is The Code Green Campaign.
If you do get a hold of the Pope, tell him Mike sent you.
Finally, enjoy what you do for a living. EMS is one of the best jobs in the world.
About the author
Mike Cyra is a former EMT and author of the Emergency Laughter eBook series. Check out his Amazon author page and his Facebook page.
