Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. The psychological and emotional impact of going through a crisis can impact employees and victims in various ways. It’s important for organizations to recognize signs of stress and trauma, communicate effectively in stressful situations, and provide emotional support.
As security professionals, we tend to overlook our own mental health because we train to be strong, agile, and resilient. We are constantly on the go: skipping lunch, missing workouts, going from meeting to meeting. This continuous work cycle is our day to day, and we rarely look inward to take notice of how we are feeling, especially during a crisis.
Security professionals should bring a sense of order, calmness, and stability to a crisis. However, many security professionals lack personal responsibility when it comes to their own mental health. Crises can vary on longevity, gravity, and impact to the organization. How many security leaders have led crises that were prolonged and never took notice of how they were feeling? Or simply ignored it and pushed through? Did you establish protocols if the crisis was prolonged after 24 hours? Did you take breaks, eat, sleep, seek support? It’s very easy to forget about your needs when dealing with the needs of the organization and employees. While the timing of when to do all those things can vary from person to person, it is important that you incorporate self-awareness into the equation. As the hours go by, critical thinking can be diminished. We might have a rush of adrenaline that can get us through in the beginning, but over time, you can become ineffective. Encouraging yourself to take breaks will help improve your well-being. Have you trained members of your team to step in when you are not there (sleeping or on a break)? Are you the type of leader that can take a step back when needed and allow one of your subordinates to take point? As a security leader, this part is crucial. We are not working in a crisis alone. Therefore, it is important for security professionals to recognize and deal with their psychological and emotional well-being.
During my career, I have worked in many stressful environments. I was an FBI agent in New York City working counterterrorism investigations when we were attacked on 9/11/2001. After 24 hours or so, the FBI placed us on 12-hour shifts, understanding the impact of the magnitude of the attack would have on their employees. While many worked longer hours than their 12-hour shifts, it became apparent over time we needed to take care of ourselves and each other to stay effective at our jobs, which included investigating the 9/11 attacks, known as Penttbom. The FBI encouraged employees to seek out mental health professionals and provided us with contact information so we could reach out to them when needed.
During COVID, security professionals had to quickly adjust and adapt to new safety and health protocols, especially if you had employees working in certain environments. We were researching and reaching out to health professionals to ensure our employees were best equipped to continue to work and stay healthy. As the global security director at TIME, journalists were covering stories inside hospitals and other locations where they were provided safety and health protocols to adhere to. I worked collaboratively with human resources to ensure we were in lockstep with the health and safety protocols. We had many conversations together with health professionals to better understand updated covid protocols we needed to implement to keep our employees safe. In 2020, I had a close relative pass away from Covid. During this time, I relied heavily on human resources, specifically the chief people officer, to uphold our collective safety and health protocols while I was away. Due to our collaborative and respectful relationship, I knew I could rely on her to step in and ensure the safety and health of our employees. I was grateful for her leadership and compassion during that time.
The importance of understanding your mental health, specifically your stress level, can affect how you handle stress and stressful situations. During a crisis, your stress levels will be accelerated. Prioritize your mental health now, train your subordinates or another manager to lead while you’re away, build collaborative relationships that will help you and your team, and understand how you can better manage your stress levels before a crisis occurs. Being proactive about your mental health will help you manage better and stay focused and effective during a crisis.