ABSTRACT
Maintaining healthy habits that provide the proper energy and quality of life is a primary goal for any individual, but particularly for law enforcement personnel. Law enforcement is a profession that requires extensive physical stamina as well as successful adaptation to an array of stressful events. Possible “storms” intrinsic to job demands include addiction to alcohol and tobacco, poor work-life balance, the need to maintain positive relationships among work colleagues, lack of supervisory support, racism, relatively high rates of divorce and suicide, sexual harassment, violence, dealing with the court system, and maintaining a passion for a career that experiences only a 30% retention rate after 3 years on the job (Anshel, 2000; Aumiller & Corey, 2007; Rybicki & Nutter, 2002). Unhealthy habits exacerbate the deleterious effects of these storms on job satisfaction and performance. Thus, it is apparent that detecting and attempting to change unhealthy behavior patterns are especially important in law enforcement.
