One of the main components of the 2008 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week is, obviously, maintaining and monitoring provider health. EMS personnel are tasked with the difficult job of saving others’ lives, yet often fail to take care of their own.

With heart disease and cardiac arrest as major killers within the first responder industry, it is crucial to tackle every aspect of “health and wellness.”

Essentially, health and wellness can be divided into two components: physical and mental. Physical health pertains to regular exercise, eating a balanced and nutritious diet, and getting plenty of sleep. Mental health involves many factors, and pertains to how you handle stress, or how you cope with different aspects of the job.

While mental health can often be impacted by your physical habits, there are also steps you can take to better prepare yourself for on-the-job stresses. You should consider writing in a daily journal, maintaining an active social life away from work, and speaking with a therapist or life coach.

While every person tackles health and wellness in a different way, Health and Safety Week reminds all providers to look at their own lives and begin practicing good habits both on and off the job.