About 8 years ago, I ran into a retired police officer I knew. At the time, I was still a police officer with 22+ years on the job. As we spoke, it became an instantly meaningful conversation - one of those conversations that stick with you. He told me that he started as a cop at a very young age and he made the decision very early on to not be bitter and negative. He went on to say that he used to take note of what some of the senior members talked about and saw that they were mad at everything and anything. Bosses, the service, the courts, the public were all garbage (this is of course far more polite language than he used!). My retired friend made a pact with himself that he didn't want to end up having that outlook on life/work and fought to remain positive.

So why do we focus on the negative as humans? Well, we are hard wired that way. Through evolution our nervous systems are designed to find the negative in our surroundings as that is what kept us safe from harm. Our brains assume the worst about that animal, person or plant so that we can avoid getting hurt by it.

This perspective is especially relevant in the first responder community. We have to prepare for the worst so that we can keep the public and ourselves safe. However, it starts to have a deleterious (I love that word!) effect on us when all we do is focus on the negative. Why? Because that outlook keeps us in a continual state of sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) activation - even when there is no threat to us. This is like keeping the gas pedal halfway pressed on our idling car. Eventually things start to break down.

So what can we do about it? The first step is to be aware of it. If we are constantly saying or thinking negative words or thoughts, take notice of that. We are also hard wired to utilize movement to assist in getting the anxiety or negative emotions out of us. If we find we are constantly mired in the negative try the following;

• Go for a walk, lift weights, do yoga - whatever movement practice works for you will, with practice, physiologically alter your state to the positive.
• Socially connect with friends or family who have a positive outlook. If we consistently hang out with negative people, we will remain in that state.
• Intentionally pay attention to the positive around you. This could be noticing the sunrise, birds, friends, music etc. Research shows that when we focus on positives, express gratitude (by writing it, saying it or thinking it) we can alter our nervous system to be more aware of the good (or great) in our lives.

This all may seem easier said than done because it is but the effort will be worth it!

Be well!