FRC Blog / By Caroline G May 23, 2023 I’m Fine You say it all the time. We all do. It’s our silent battle. “I’m fine,” or, “I’m okay.” Maybe you even say, “I’m doing good. Things are great.” Are you? Because saying it over and over again when it isn’t true makes you almost buy the lie, but then you’re denying yourself something important: honesty. “You tend to fight and survive every single day ...

FRC Blog / By Caroline G May 2, 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month May is the month for Mental Health Awareness. First Responder Coaching has been pushing awareness since its inception. While there’s still some organizations with their heads in the sand, the suicide rate is not declining among first responders. The rate of mental health diagnoses among first responders is up to 30%, much higher than the general population. The first responder population is ...

Having first responder support programs in place and making them accessible can make or break a department’s employee retention.

“I don’t need help.” “I can manage it.” “I’ll get help if it gets worse but I’m fine for now.”

Who doesn’t like going to the movies? What’s even better is seeing a movie you can relate to. Do you have a favorite first responder movie?

You need to start smashing excuses to reach your goals. Otherwise, they’ll always be in the future, unattainable.

FRC Blog / By Caroline G Do you have a fear of failure? Let’s do a quick check. Scenario 1 You’re up for an annual review and your boss isn’t saying anything. You also want a raise for all the extra work you’re doing. You could: a. Waltz into the office and say, “Hey, how’s my review coming? I’m free to talk about it this afternoon?” Plan to ask for a raise as soon as you meet.b. Wait for your boss to walk by and say, “Oh, by the way, I was wondering if we could talk ...

 FRC Blog / By Caroline G Want to know the top benefits of life coaching? You hear us go on about coaching in first responder life. We say that the coach approach is different and every department should have this avenue of mental health support. We share personal stories and share statistics. But you may not be convinced there’s anything in it for you. Let’s take a moment to explain why we at FRC do what we do. We’ll talk about why we want coaching in every department in the nation ...

FRC Blog / By Caroline G People assume anxiety triggers are for those worrisome types who have little self confidence and can’t make a decision for themselves. Or they think only weak-minded people have anxiety at all and strong, self-reliant people shouldn’t worry much. They’re terribly wrong. Anxiety affects everyone and in today’s fast-paced world it’s only increasing. Add to that a first responder lifestyle and you’ve got a recipe for multiple anxiety triggers. What is ...

FRC Blog / By Caroline G Joe’s Story “This isn’t how we do things,” Joe says, setting down his coffee mug. “We never had to talk about feelings or debrief like this before. These new guys are changing things.” Joe is a typical long-term first responder, twenty-five years in law enforcement and looking forward to retirement soon. He’s seen enough but plugs along doing his duty, following protocol and all the requirements of being a life-time servant. “We just push it down and ...