Before doing the exercise below, watch this quick video about how law enforcement culture plays into stress and wellness.

 

Rest Priority Scale

1. Reflect on Your Rest Needs:

  • Action: Take a few deep breaths and sit comfortably for 1-2 minutes. Close your eyes and reflect on how well you are currently resting. Consider your physical, emotional, and mental rest needs.

Write down:

  • How well rested do you feel on a typical day? What areas of rest (physical, emotional, mental) feel neglected?

2. Rest Priority Scale:

Note: 1 means “not important at all” and 10 means “extremely important to me right now.”

  • Action: On a scale from 1-10, rate the importance of rest in each of these three areas:
    • Physical Rest (e.g., sleep, relaxation, recovery from physical exertion)
    • Emotional Rest (e.g., disconnecting from work stress, social demands, emotional recovery)
    • Mental Rest (e.g., clearing your mind, mindfulness, reduced mental fatigue)

Write down:

  • Your rating for each area of rest. For example:
    • Physical Rest: 7
    • Emotional Rest: 5
    • Mental Rest: 8

3. Assessing Your Rest Gaps:

  • Action: After rating the areas of rest, reflect on which area you rated the lowest. What’s one reason this area is getting less priority? Are there certain obstacles (work schedule, personal habits, stress) preventing you from focusing on this need?

Write down:

  • The area you rated the lowest and why. For example: “I rated emotional rest lower because I often bring work stress home and don’t allow myself time to decompress.”

4. Plan to Prioritize Rest:

  • Action: Based on your reflections, select one small change you can make today to prioritize the area of rest that you rated the lowest. This could be setting aside specific time for relaxation, establishing boundaries around work, or trying mindfulness techniques.

Write down:

  • One specific action you can take today to address your rest needs. For example:
    • “I will take a 10-minute break every 2 hours during my shift to disconnect from work mentally.”
    • “I will set a ‘no work’ rule after 7 p.m. to prioritize emotional rest.”

 

 

Reflection Questions:

  • Rest Prioritization:
    • After completing the Rest Priority Scale, which area of rest do you feel most needs improvement? Why?
  • Small Steps:
    • What is one small step you can take today to improve your rest in the area you rated lowest?
  • Sustainability:
    • How can you ensure that rest becomes a regular, non-negotiable part of your routine moving forward?

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