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It’s important to remember that no one at FFR does life alone. It is easy to forget that we people around to encourage us and keep us accountable. What is one of the ways you make sure you keep in communication with those people?
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FFR is not just an exercise program, not just a weight loss plan or muscle building challenge, FFR is soooo much more, its a home for first responders, it’s a place to let off steam, a place to quietly be in your own head and think or a place to talk and vent about everyday stresses of the job and home life of first responders, a place to find comfort during the storms of life and encouragement to overcome those battles, a place to grieve if need be and to celebrate victories among friends when need be, a place to be just a human working on themselves, a place challenge yourself and grow to be healthier, stronger, physically, mentally and spiritually, this place is my, physician, my therapist, my church, these people are my family. These great things are not just for one hour 3 times a week, they don’t disappear when I leave the gym, it’s with me after the gym, it’s everyday on the job on the street, in life, its forever, we stick together through everything because we are a family, because we are FIT FOR DUTY AND FIT FOR LIFE ❤??
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Ok, so I have a question but cannot see a topic in the forum to ask it, so here I am.
Sleep.
Sleep is probably the most key part of health as it allows us to rest the body, the mind and prepare for the next day.
I have seen the clip in wellness discussing position, but how about time?
people such as Laird Hamilton say at least 8-9 hours and this is a guy who knows about this stuff, but there is no information I can find to help us, the guys who miss nights sleep.
How should we be managing rest?
Sometimes I nap during the day after a night shift but it takes hours to properly wake up and this affects my time with my family before I go to work.
Any advice would be awesome.-
Christopher you bring up a great topic! Sleep disruption and deprivation are a big concern in the first responder population. Yes the recommended amount of sleep by most doctors is between 7 to 9 hours. The most important part being restful sleep. A person needs to be in the REM stage of sleep to allow for the body and brain to recover from the day. My advice on improving sleep is multi-layered. First I ask people to look at their before sleep routine. About an hour before you are wanting to be asleep what are you doing? If it does not have to do with preparing your body for sleep it doesn’t need to happen. The brain will interpret light as a cue to stay awake so all screens should be off, lights should be turned down, and all unnecessary sound should be off. What are you thinking about? If it isn’t calming or something that engages limited emotional response, choose to focus your thoughts on something else. YOU GET A CHOICE IN WHAT YOU FOCUS ON! Example: Don’t play your day, argument with your ex, etc. in your mind. Instead listen to guided meditation, ocean waves, or sleep sounds. What is your environment like? Men tend to struggle to sleep well if their room is cluttered and messy. We all tend to sleep better in a cooler environment. If your pillow or mattress is uncomfortable or old it can cause frequent waking. If children or animals are sleeping in the bed with you it can cause your sleep cycle to be disrupted. Are there any physical factors that need to be considered? Do you have acid reflux that causes you to wake up, or have sleep apnea. Do you have chronic pain causing your sleep to be disrupted. Do you have a vitamin or hormone level deficiency causing you to feel tired during the day. Are you taking in too much caffeine during the day and too close to bed. You can have a sleep study done by your doctor and labs done by your doctor. Check in with other FFR staff about nutrition tips to help increase energy in a healthy way during the day. Also setting boundaries where you can to ensure you aren’t taking on shifts when you actually can say no. I understand so many places are understaffed and under payed. Just make sure you are being real with yourself when you make choices with your time because you are a hero and you are worth taking care of!
Christina Walker
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