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My smile at the station house is a lot thinner than it looks
People think because we laugh and joke after a bad call, we're fine, but that's just how we get through the day. I had a structure fire on Elm Street last month that went south fast, and I was smiling for the crew while my head was still seeing the kitchen ceiling come down. How do you turn off the work part of your brain when you get home?
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cole_baker1mo ago
My uncle was a firefighter for twenty years. He said the drive home was his decompression zone, no radio, just quiet. I try to do the same now, just ten minutes of silence in the car before I walk inside. It doesn't always work, but it helps me leave the gear at the door, both the physical and the mental kind.
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beth_singh1mo ago
Man, that quiet drive home idea is a good one for trying to switch gears.
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blair_taylor3222d ago
@cole_baker your uncle knew what was up, that's exactly the kind of habit that sticks with you. I do something similar after long days, just sit in the driveway for a few minutes before heading in. It's amazing how that little buffer of silence can stop the work stress from following you inside.
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