It’s probably no surprise that public safety work from all aspects can have negative effects on relationships. Long hours, mandatory overtime, irregular work schedules and work-related stress can certainly wear on your partner over time. Does this mean that our line of work makes it impossible to maintain a healthy relationship? Absolutely not.

Yes it is true that most ems jobs come with long hour shifts. But let’s not forget that it usually includes more time off. For example, people working 48 or 24 hour shifts usually get stretches of 6 or 8 days off. It’s all of the overtime that we pick up that causes problems in the household. Now I live on private ems pay too and I truly understand the need for extra money. But it must come in moderation. Try not to live outside of your means and make what time you have with your spouse quality time. Being apart from each other can actually have positive effects if it’s not excessive.

We all get irritated when we get held over to run “late calls” or support a busy system. Trust me, your partner feels the same way. The last thing your significant other wants to hear after you have been away for 2 days is that you are not coming home on time. Not to mention the fact that you probably just want relax or sleep for a few hours to recover from your shift. Rather than fight over this, try talking about it and come up with a set of agreements. For example, you can set rules like not making plans immediately after your shift or designating some time for rest when you come home. Now on the occasions that you do come home well rested and on time, you can surpsrise your partner and do something special.

Everyone knows that our line of work comes with its share of stress. High work loads, financial trouble, critical incident stress and desicions concerning promotion or relocation can take its toll on a person. Unfortunately, most of the time we keep it inside. Trust me when I say that it shows, and it can negatively affect your behavior. Always make sure to talk to your partner about stress in your life. Try including them when it comes to important decisions abour your job or your life. Call your partner throughout the day to tell them about your shift and talk about stressful calls. This will keep you on the same page and will allow your partner to have a better understanding of what you are going through. Let your loved one support you. Don’t let your work issues become home issues.

Working in ems doesn’t mean the end of the world for your love life. It certainly isn’t easy. It’s no surprise to me that many ems professionals date and marry nurses, firefighters or other ems professionals. Communication and quality time are going to be your best friends when it comes to maintaining your healthy relationships.

I would love to hear about your stories or experience with relationships and the ems field. Please feel free to comment below or email me.

Good morning readers. Today I am going to discuss the importance of good health when working in the EMS field. Good health is something that is often ignored amongst many EMT’s and Paramedics. The truth is, we need to stay healthy to truly perform our jobs effectively. Regular exercise and good nutrition will ultimately equate to more energy, better concentration, more strength and will lower your risk for injuries.

For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on nutrition. Having worked in EMS for many years, mostly on night shifts, I certainly understand the difficulties in finding healthy food while working the streets. I have been guilty of late night 7-11 chili dogs, “Big Gulp” sodas and large bags of chips. It almost seemed like healthy food disappeared when the sun went down. I have since learned to tone it down on the artery clogging snacks.

Meal planning is going to be the first step to your nutrition plan. I plan on 5-6 small meals a day. This helps to kick the urge to snack. Eating 6 small meals a day also helps to maintain a faster metabolism, which translates into less fat retention. Target and other major stores offer many decent sized coolers from 20-50 dollars that would easily fit all of your meals and drinks for a shift.

Eating 6 meals a day is great, but it wont do you much good if you aren’t eating the right stuff. We all know that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you. I could write a book on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. But the truth of the matter is, if you don’t like it, you probably aren’t going to eat it. I personally enjoy eating apples, carrots, oranges and salads. They can be filling and have a good source of natural sugars for energy. Try browsing around your local grocery store for healthy foods to eat. You might be surprised at how much is out there that you will actually enjoy eating. A good rule of thumb is to consume no more than 2,000 calories a day. You be the judge, find what you like and keep it below the 2,000 mark. Remember, you can’t go wrong with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.

Try to avoid foods and drinks with high sugar content. While sugar is important, excess amounts will lead to less energy and more fat retention. Try drinking more water and diet sodas instead of regular sodas. Diet sodas are good, but they contain a decent amount of sodium, which wont do you any good if you consume an excess amount. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that candy and sweets can be bad, however a treat every now and then isn’t going to hurt anything.

Ever since I started to focus on healthy eating I have truly improved my job performance. I require less sleep, have more energy and I am able to concentrate better than before. Good health isn’t the only upside to a good nutrition plan. You will also save a substantial amount of money. Nutrition planning doesn’t have to be rocket science. Most people know whats healthy and whats not. Don’t try to over-complicate things. Experiment around a little and find a nutrition plan that works for you. As always, have a great week and please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments.