Decompressing After a Shift: Mental Health Tips from a First Responder | EMTeas

After a long, chaotic shift, the first instinct is usually to get home as fast as possible — to see your family, change out of your uniform, maybe collapse on the couch.

But over time, I’ve learned that going home immediately after a heavy call or high-stress shift doesn’t always serve me — or my family.

There are days when I’ll just drive. No music. No phone. Just back roads and breath. Other days, I’ll pull into a quiet spot surrounded by trees and just sit. Let my brain catch up. Let the adrenaline fade. Let the weight settle so I’m not carrying it inside when I walk through the door.

And sometimes, it’s not solitude I need — it’s connection. A call to a mentor. Or to my mom. Just hearing her voice brings me back down to earth when my thoughts are racing.

And when I really need to hit the emotional reset button?
Yeah… I’ve got a playlist for that too.
Taylor Swift is my go-to “forget it all” music. Windows down, volume up, stress melting one chorus at a time. Say what you want — but it works.

It’s not about avoidance. It’s about regulation.

🧠 The Science Behind the Practice

When we’re in go-mode — especially during emergencies — our nervous system is locked into sympathetic dominance. That’s the fight-or-flight state: elevated heart rate, cortisol release, tunnel vision, heightened alertness.

But staying in that state for hours (or days) can wreck us.

Studies show that intentional decompression helps shift the brain back into parasympathetic mode — the rest-and-digest state where healing, thinking, and emotional regulation happen.

Taking even 15–30 minutes to decompress after a shift can:

Reduce cortisol levels

Improve sleep quality

Lower baseline anxiety

Prevent mood spillover into home life

Strengthen long-term mental resilience

👪 It’s Not Just For Me — It’s For Them Too

By taking this time, I show up better for the people who matter most.

I’m not bringing the weight of the trauma into my living room. I’m not snapping at my partner because of something that happened four calls ago. I’m not half-present at the dinner table because I’m still in that adrenaline fog.

Taking space doesn’t mean I don’t care. It means I care enough to re-enter home life as the best version of myself.

🌿 What Helps Me Reset

For me, it’s nature. Stillness. Sometimes it’s a phone call. Sometimes it’s Swift.
And almost always, it’s tea.

Sipping a calming herbal blend like Slumber Brew or Mellow Moments — something with ashwagandha, lemon balm, or chamomile — helps send the signal to my nervous system that it’s safe to stand down. That I’ve got time to breathe. That I don’t need to be on edge anymore.

It’s a small ritual, but it makes a big difference.

Whether you’re in EMS, fire, dispatch, or just carrying emotional weight home from any job — you deserve space to reset.
You deserve to re-enter your life, not just survive it.

Take that time. You’ll show up better for it.

Looking to create your own post-shift ritual?
I’ve built my blends for that exact reason.
👉 www.EMTeasLLC.com

“And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound…”

— Taylor Swift, This Is Me Trying