You spend a night on the dog shift that is pretty much normal…..7 hours of absolute boredom with about 15 minutes of sheer terror….or at least that’s the way it feels sometimes. You go after someone, chase them, fight them or chase them in a car, have someone fighting you have to break it up…all kinds of stuff and unfortunately, your fight or flight responses in your body just keeps dumping all sorts of chemicals in your blood to get ready and then … nothing happens, and you go back and sit in the car…sit in the office doing reports…or worse yet…you go home, have a few beers, eat something at about Midnight and then go to sleep. Unfortunately after years of this, it takes a toll and you wind up with a weight problem, diabetes, heart problems, and probably some relationship problems. Bottom line, it’s time to manage the stress you can manage. God knows there’s plenty you can’t control. After a high stress incident, if you have a chance, walk it off..literally…check a few doors, walk a beat if you can, or at least climb a few stairs in your office: run in place, or do something to work off the stressors building up inside you. Most of all, exercise regularly. Yeah, I know..I’m as guilty as anybody about this…plenty of reasons not to. Easy to take the”magic chair ride” when you get home. But discipline yourself to get out and move around. Even if it’s walking. If it isn’t safe at home, go to a mall, or a track, or an indoor facility but do it. If you have invested in a exercise machine and it’s what you use to hang your uniform on now, dust it off and use it.
Stay away from the candy machine, soda machine, sunflower seeds, tobacco and fast food. Try carrots, fruit chips and real juice or tea. Lay off the alcohol and high sodium stuff. Watch out for the caffeine and get plenty of rest.
You will be amazed how much better you will feel. It doesn’t take long and those around you will appreciate it as much as you will.