Wellness Wednesday #4: When It Comes To Stress...Focus On The Basics

A few hours late I know, but I wanted to share it with you today regardless. So we shall say welcome to the Wellness Wednesday (cough cough Thursday) Edition #4

As First Responders, Emergency Services Members and Public Safety Professionals, stress is a part of our everyday lives and roles. Managing stress can involve two separate factors:

1. Focusing on our response to the stress and/or situation

2. Or tackling the actual stressor itself

We must have capacity to focus on either of aspect of stress that is impacting us, physically, emotionally or psychologically. Therefore, it's incredibly important to have a solid base as a starting point. Remember those 3 P's I like to bang on about so much; Proactive, Preventative and Purposeful...engaging in practices while incorporating the 3 P's helps provide that solid base for stability and improves our ability to cope with stress.

However, when the amount of stress we find ourselves under outweighs our capacity, the demand is seemingly too much, it's easy for any health or wellness practice to fall by the wayside. Which is why I believe that one of the best things we can do is Go Back To The Basics; they are the easiest to implement and focus on, but are also the first ones to disappear when we're feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

So what are "The Basics"....? Sleep. Nutrition. Exercise. Breathwork. 

Nothing fancy or extravagant. There's no reinventing the wheel. These basics are the things we ALL know we should prioritise...yet we don't. As First Responders, sometimes the challenge to maintain these basics ends up out of our control. Unanticipated O/T deprives us of a decent amount of sleep, we end up eating crap from a fast food place and our planned workout session just doesn't end up happening. 

Which is why purpose, discipline and effort become so important. It comes down to quality over quantity at times.

As I mentioned, they are the first elements of maintaining our health and wellness that fall by the wayside when life gets busy and stressful. But they are equally the easiest to get back on track with minimal effort, that can be the most impactful and beneficial.

So going "Back To The Basics" literally means putting that phone away and getting enough sleep. Eating well or making the best choice possible when faced with not-so-great options, along with staying hydrated. Moving your body - doesn't have to be an all-star epic workout, just a 20 min walk will suffice. And taking some nice, deep breaths with intention; the easiest are box or tactical breathing and 5-8-7.

These simple, basic practices help maintain aspects of our health that aren't always easily noticeable, but certainly build up and impact us over time. Getting enough sleep helps us think clearly, improves our immunity, our cognition, memory consolidation and gives our minds the ability to process trauma and our continual exposure to it. Sleep deprivation decreases our psychological safety, emotional regulation and decision making capacity. Practicing breathwork, especially when under stress or, our sympathetic nervous system is activated, can help us shift into our parasympathetic nervous system, calming ourselves and bringing us back to homeostasis. 

I don't think I need to overly explain how important good nutrition, hydration and exercise are, especially in maintaining our health; but also our ability to perform our roles as First Responders, which are often physically demanding and downright grueling at times.

Chronic stress can lead to overwhelm, burnout and a dysregulated nervous system, so falling back and focusing on these core 4 things, improves our capacity to handle those challenging times and our ability to cope. We are already a resilient population, going back to the basics just helps ensure we stay that way.

It's not an answer for everything and I'm not claiming it is, but eating well, sleeping enough, exercising and engaging in breathwork are a great buffer between performing at our best and struggling to survive.

I look at it like those all important 3 P's; being proactive, engaging preventatively and with purpose, creates the scaffolding to help us have longevity in challenging careers, that have the ability to break us. When we improve and fortify that solid foundation to begin with, it can help prevent that breakage or at the very least, lessen the severity.

Wellness Wednesday #4 for 2026! We were on a roll....but life got busy there for a few weeks! This is why this writing endeavour is an intention, not a hard and fast rule for myself. My life, as many of yours would as well, requires flexibility, grace and self compassion to show up, along with effort, dedication and discipline. Striking that balance takes practice, even for me.

If you haven't already, please check out some of the content from the Level Up 2026 First Responder Wellness Conference I was fortunate enough to attend and speak at, in Colorado. Hosted by the wonderful people behind Revital Colorado, It's A Calling Foundation and Code-4 Counseling.

Cheers,

Erin Jane

Remember, you can find me every Tuesday and Thursday 2pm-4pm EST on The Thin Line Rock Station; "Holding Space with Erin Jane" or listen to episodes of "I Will Hold Space For

Your Darkness; A First Responder Mental Health Podcast" for in depth conversations with First Responders, Veterans and experts dedicated to the wellness of our people.