Minding Our Mental Health:
Basic Mindfulness for Corrections
Barbara L. Gould
Mental Health: buzz words we hear often that include a lengthy series of what to do and what not to do in order to achieve good mental health. Awesome! I’ll add it to my never-ending to-do list of how to better myself. Improving our mental health has a mix of facts and opinions depending upon who you are talking to or which publication you are reading. However, there is one practice that most everyone agrees we can do to have a substantial impact on our mental health: practice being mindful.
Mindfulness
First, let’s cover what mindfulness is and go through a basic scenario. Mindfulness is nothing more than bringing our awareness to what is happening in that moment. Mindfulness also includes acknowledging how we are feeling, accepting that emotion or feeling, and then moving on. In other words, purposefully taking the time to acknowledge the situation and our emotions.
Let’s take a look at an example: Officer (Ofc.) Wynk wakes up late for work only to remember that their gas tank is empty. Then Ofc. Wynk realizes they never put their work uniform in the dryer. And to top the morning off, Ofc. Wynk goes to take a shower only to realize that the water heater has gone out. Ofc.Wynk is irritated and mad and they haven’t even gotten to the concrete and steel castle of gloom yet! This is where Ofc. Wynk needs to have some grace and patience with themselves, accepting that they are having a bad morning. Next Ofc. Wynk should ask ‘why.’ Why are they irritated and having a bad morning? Did they not set their alarm clock or set it incorrectly? Okay, I bet they won’t make that mistake again. Did Ofc. Wynk forget to check the weather for today? Ofc. Wynk then makes a mental note to start checking the next day’s weather as a part of their daily routine. Ofc. Wynk accepted responsibility and started to calm down. Next obstacle? Ofc. Wynk must call work to let them know they are running late while putting their uniform in the dryer and brushing the snow off their vehicle. Whew!
What’s next? Ofc. Wynk takes a moment to check out the hot water heater and makes another mental note to call the repair person later in the day. Done. So, what just happened here? Ofc. Wynk turned a bad morning into a manageable morning by taking a moment to recognize their feelings of anger and irritation, calmed down, and then tackled the issues necessary to get to work. Ofc. Wynk will now arrive at work late, but calm and collected ready to start their shift. If Ofc. Wynk hadn’t been mindful of their rising emotions, Ofc. Wynk would have rushed to work wearing a dirty uniform and displaying a bad attitude (likely) lasting the entire day. Lesson learned: when we refuse to accept and acknowledge our emotions, we let them rule us. We have all experienced a bad morning turning into a bad day, but practicing mindfulness can take a bad situation and turn it around into a manageable or even good situation. Mindfulness is meant to be used as a daily way of life that not only helps us accept our thoughts and feelings in the moment but allows us to not dwell on those thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness not only supports emotional awareness it also boosts the number of positive emotions we experience thus inducing more happiness. The emotion of being happy has been proven to increase the release of dopamine (Kringelbach and Berridge 2010). Dopamine is the feel-good chemical in our brains that aids in our happiness, learning, and motivation. Practicing mindfulness as part of your daily life can also reduce biases and increase empathy having a direct effect on our social interactions. Think about the scenario covered previously in this article, how did being mindful potentially
change the situation for the better? In addition to dopamine release and better social interactions, mindfulness has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression (Mindfulness, n.d.). So, increased positive emotions through happiness, better social interactions, and less stress and depression? Sounds like improved mental health.
Emotional Awareness
Being present with our emotions and awareness should be practiced daily. Start by practicing somewhere you feel secure and when you are able to pay attention to any sensations and emotions that could arise. The more you practice the easier, and quicker, mindfulness will be. An example of how to get started being mindful could start with your next meal. Instead of hurrying through your food, slow down and take the time to notice and acknowledge your food’s smell, taste, texture, temperature. There is no need to evaluate each sensation or emotion, just recognize them and move on. Next time you’re in a vehicle, try being more mindful. What is the temperature of the vehicle? Are there any smells? What are the sensations in the parts of your body that are touching the seat? What emotions have come to the surface while being mindful or your environment? Again, no need to interpret anything into these sensations, but do try to allow any emotions that these sensations produce to rise to your consciousness and then let them go.
Let’s take a look at another scenario that shows the benefits of practicing mindfulness and emotional control: It’s 0530 and your subordinate, Ofc. Wynk, has just called to let you know that they have overslept and will be late for their 0600 report to shift. Ofc. Wynk anticipates that they will arrive just before 0700. You instantly get mad. You respond in a blunt tone to Ofc. Wynk telling them that they need to report as soon as possible because tardiness is not acceptable. Then you slam the phone down. You’re definitely mad. Now you have to find someone to stay over shift and since no one wants to work lately, you’re going to have to order someone over to cover and listen then to them gripe. Ugh. Why can’t people just show up to work on time? You’re definitely writing Ofc. Wynk up for their tardiness. Because you let your emotions of anger and irritation dominate the conversation, Ofc. Wynk hangs up the phone feeling irritated. Ofc. Wynk can tell you’re mad and doesn’t understand why. It’s not like they’ve been late to work before. Ofc. Wynk thinks, “Well, if you’re going to be mad, then you’re going to be mad whether I arrive at 0630, 0700, or 0800! I should stop for breakfast and not arrive till 0900. That will show them ‘late to work’.” Can you see how this situation has escalated based upon the emotions flying around? What if when you initially felt yourself getting angry with Ofc. Wynk you took a pause to acknowledge your emotions; finding someone to work over shift is difficult and maddening, but manageable. You have just recognized your emotions, why you’re having them, and are now able to calm yourself down. You tell Ofc. Wynk to take the time they need to arrive safely at work as it snowed last night and then hang up appropriately. Ofc. Wynk hangs up the phone feeling relieved. Ofc. Wynk knows tardiness isn’t acceptable but feels comforted to have such an understanding and compassionate supervisor. Ofc. Wynk hurries to get ready and then drives safely to work, arriving at 0645. You have a brief talk with Ofc. Wynk about their tardiness and find out it was a series of unusually unpleasant events causing their tardiness. You know Ofc. Wynk has never been late to work before so you let them off with a verbal warning. Ofc. Wynk thanks you for your understanding and reports to their duty station. Wow. The power of controlling our emotions really can have a huge impact not only on how we feel, but on how we make others feel and thus how they interact with us and others.
Conclusion
Whether you’re having a bad start to your day, an uncomfortable conversation with a superior, or anything in between, being mindful and practicing mindfulness can have a profound impact on our mood and the overall situation. Remember to start small and build from there. “What we think we become. What we feel we attract.”—Buddha.
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Barbara L. Gould retired in 2023 to focus her efforts on health and wellness in corrections after serving 19 years with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) and 5 years with the Michigan Sheriffs’ Coordinating and Training Council (MSCTC). Barbara teaches nationally and maintains the following certifications: MSCTC approved LCO Academy instructor; Ashtanga, Restorative, and Yin yoga instructor; Mindfulness instructor; Emergency Medical Technician; and Nationally Certified Corrections Executive (NCCE). For more information, she can be contacted at gouldllc@yahoo.com.
References
Kringelbach, M. L., & Berridge, K. C. (2010). The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure. Social research, 77(2), 659–678.
Mindfulness. (n.d.). Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/mindfulnessv
