You exercise to stay fit for duty, but what do you do to stay mentally fit?

I’ve been training for an ultramarathon later this summer. It’s a grueling 50-kilometer race through the mountains, with about 2400 meters of elevation gain. One of the reasons I chose this challenge was to experience having to shape my entire lifestyle around a singular focus. My diet, sleep, exercise, and daily habits must align for me to succeed. However, I’ve hit a snag...

During my training, I developed Achilles tendonitis from ramping up too quickly. It’s been a frustrating journey trying to rehab my Achilles back to full strength as I approach the point of no return—if it doesn’t improve soon, I might have to postpone my race until next year. I'm doing everything I can to stay on track by attending physio, prioritizing my warmups and cooldowns, and carefully planning my exercise sessions.

This experience made me think about the effort we willingly put into physical fitness. This is especially true in the first responder community, where being physically fit is necessary for the job and is often a point of pride. We boast about how much weight we can lift and openly share stories of overcoming physical injuries, but for some reason, we don’t have the same approach to mental health.

For example, when was the last time you heard someone brag about overcoming a mental illness or putting effort into their mental health? Imagine hearing a colleague say, 'Bro, I just meditated for 60 minutes yesterday, and you should have heard what I discussed with my psychologist!'

There’s a big discrepancy between the efforts we dedicate to our physical health and those we dedicate to our mental health. The past year and a half have been some of the most challenging times of my life—tougher than my experiences in combat or as a police officer. I’ve been learning how to thrive again, and I wouldn’t be making this much progress if I didn’t focus on my mental fitness as diligently as I have been with my physical fitness.

If you face a physical injury, it’s easy and accepted that you will dedicate time and effort to your recovery. You will draw on numerous resources to help you, whether physiotherapy, a doctor, or a personal trainer, and readily take time off work to heal. Why can’t we do the same for a mental injury?

The same resources are available—reducing workload, seeing a psychologist, obtaining medication, focusing on self-care… However, we are less likely to pursue those avenues or will delay until the issues force us to get help.

My ultramarathon is set for a specific date, but your 'race'—the daily challenge of mental health and stress management—is ongoing. It's tested every day at work and home. You might be running the mental equivalent of an ultramarathon right now. What are you doing to stay mentally fit to fulfill your duty to your family, friends, and work?