Priorities Matter: How a Proper Foundation Will Guide You Through a Stressful Career

A quick internet search will show that the field in which we have chosen to work is one with a fair amount of stress associated with it.

According to Corrections1 (2023), the job of corrections officer ranks fifth among the most stressful jobs in public safety. While peer support teams are finally on the rise in the corrections world, bringing awareness to mental health issues and providing much needed support to often overworked and stressed-out staff, there are steps that officers can take outside of work to mitigate the effects of such a demanding career.

The Importance of Prioritizing Foundations

In the field of corrections, you will see a lot and you will deal with a lot that will cause stress and bring some tough days. Having the right foundations and the right priorities is crucial to surviving a long career in a hard profession. We all want to succeed and excel at our chosen career, but the key to making it to the finish line, to retirement, is to not let your career be your identity or rule your life. What I have found is that if you have the right focus in life, the right priorities, you can get through a career that will cause you to see things the general public can’t even imagine.

I had a basketball coach in junior high that gave me some of the best advice that I still live by today, almost 30 years later. He would tell his players that the priorities in our lives need to be in the right order so that we can have the right focus, the right motivation in life. What were those priorities in the context of a junior high basketball player? God, Family, School, and Sports. This came from a basketball coach who very much enjoyed winning, but made sure it wasn’t at the expense of his players losing their character. He made sure that he was influencing the young men on his team in a way that would help them grow into leaders one day in their homes, in their communities, and in their jobs. How does this relate to a career in corrections? What I explain here comes from that same concept that my coach instilled in me all those years ago and adds in my own life experience of being married, having a family, being a leader at work and church, and working a decade and a half in the field of corrections. I won’t go so far as to say this list is all encompassing, but this is how I have survived 16 years of life working in a county jail.

Faith: A Higher Purpose

While I know not everyone shares the same religious beliefs, and some may have no religious beliefs at all, having faith in a higher power or a greater cause than yourself will bring you a purpose each day. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is your motivation to do well at a given task? What is your purpose from day to day? For me personally, my faith in God is the foundation for everything I do. My identity is in Christ and who he says I am. Without Him, I’d be a very different person, especially having worked in a county jail for most of my adult life. If you don’t believe in God, go find something bigger than yourself to believe in and to live for. Find that higher purpose that provides you with the right direction.

Family: The Anchor in Life

As a husband, my relationship with my wife is the second most important thing in my life, next to my relationship with God. Many of you may read that last sentence and be taken aback, as you believe your kids should be your main focus. Hold on, we’ll get there. If you are married, your relationship with your spouse will dictate how you raise your children. When you get home, the first kiss should be the spouse, and then the kids. If they see a good marriage where both parents are working for the same goals, working to be on the same page, they will mimic that and strive to create that in their future marriage. When your kids are the main focus, the marriage can suffer and the kids don’t have that good example to follow. Think of this as the oxygen mask example on an airplane, where they tell you to put yours on then assist others. The concept in marriage is the same: make sure your marriage is good so you can raise your kids well.

However, after your spouse, or if you are a single parent, your kids are absolutely your priority. It is your responsibility to raise them with good morals and beliefs. Be the example they need, and teach them to think critically and to hold fast to their convictions. The world will influence them if you don’t, so make sure the 18 years you have them under your roof count. Make your family one of the most important things in your life, because at the end of the day, they will be the ones there for you in the hardest times, so they should take priority in your life. If you don’t have a spouse or kids, family is still a very important part of who you are, so maintain those relationships with your parents, siblings, cousins, etc. Without family, we don’t have much.

Friends: A Reliable Support System

Find those great friends that you can call family when it’s all said and done. Maybe these are friends you know from college, or from a running group, or from church, or your neighborhood, or from any other facet of your life. Regardless, you need some great people in your corner to be a part of your support system. These are the people who will help take your mind off the stress of the job. You can hang out with them and know they aren’t going to give you more stress, but help you relieve it in the right ways. Cultivate those relationships well and make some great memories with great people in the process. And be the same for them as they are for you, support them and champion them in their lives as well. Good friends can become just as close as your family, and they will be there through the hard times just the same. They are vital to surviving a life that is accustomed to high stress as they can be an outlet for you as you seek avenues to de-stress.

Fitness: Investing in Physical and Mental Well-Being

Make sure you take time in life to keep yourself healthy, physically and mentally. As you get older and have more responsibilities, if you’re married and have kids, this will only become more difficult, but even more important. Eat well, not just the greasy cheeseburger you can get your hands on in the middle of your double shift. Plan your meals ahead of time to avoid the lack of good options on 3rd shift at 0300hrs. Make time for 30-60 minutes each day to go to the gym, go for a run, go for a hike, or just get out and get active, whatever that looks like for you. Set some fitness goals and then work to achieve them. Run that 5K. Set that PR on the bench. Go hike that mountain and take in the awesome view at the top.

Maintaining a regular fitness routine will translate to better mental health as well. If your mental health suffers, everything and everyone around you will suffer as well. Sometimes this means seeking the help of a professional counselor or therapist, which is a great yet still underutilized way of focusing on better mental health. Sometimes, this just means getting away from work for a bit. If you are working for a government entity, as most of us do, you will get ample vacation and holiday time. Don’t be afraid to take a week off just to give yourself a good reset. Schedule a long weekend and do whatever brings you joy. When you focus on proper selfcare, you make yourself a better spouse, employee, parent, neighbor, etc.

Fun: Finding Joy Beyond Work

Go out and have fun! If all you focus on is work, you will eventually burn out. Go to that concert, take a vacation with friends to wherever, make memories with family, go to a ball game, go see the world. There is so much more out there that is so much bigger than where you are now, so visit a different culture, try a new sport, eat a new food, go climb a mountain, go learn a new skill. Whatever is fun for you, get out and do that (legally, of course). As the saying goes, “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.” Make time for the fun things in life, and it will work wonders on your well-being.

Closing Thoughts: A Balanced Approach to Corrections

Corrections is a tough and demanding career, but there are plenty of benefits as well. The best way to survive and find your way to retirement is to put your focus in the right place. Show up to work every day and do the best job you can, but don’t let it define who you are as a person. Let who you are as a person define who you are as a CO. Have faith in something bigger than yourself, make family a priority, have a great support system in your friend group, practice the self-care of being physically and mentally fit, and make time for fun things in life.

As a last word of wisdom, understand that you will need to make time for all these things. Notice I didn’t say find time, because time can’t be found, we only have a set amount each day. It will take discipline. So, make time in the 24 hours you do have each day to focus on these priorities. And when you prioritize these things, the job becomes a little easier to handle, and that can make all the difference in the world.

References

Corrections1. (2023, December 28). Top 10 most stressful public safety jobs in the U.S. Corrections1. https://www.corrections1. com/corrections-jobs-careers/ articles/top-10-most-stressfulpublic-safety-jobs-in-the-usXqiwNkqercUZjRfK/

__________________________________

Scottie Frans, CJM is a captain with the Division of Community Corrections in Lexington, KY. He has 16 years of experience in corrections, along with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, where he is also an adjunct instructor. Scottie recently obtained status as a Certified Jail Manager through the American Jail Association. Outside of work, Scottie enjoys time with family, serving at his church, and is an avid runner and cyclist. For more information, he can be contacted at rfrans@lexingtonky.gov