Making Your Health a Priority as a 911 Dispatcher

You are basically a superhero. After all, as a 911 dispatcher, you save lives all day every day. Thanks to you and your ability to remain calm during the most trying times, lives are saved on a daily basis.

You receive all of the crucial information, assess the situation, and you then dispatch police, firemen, or EMS, depending on the circumstances of the call you just took. As I mentioned before, you are a SUPERHERO! You do amazing work, but who’s going to save you?

Focus On Your Well-Being Too

Being a 911 dispatcher superhero comes at a cost. You are basically glued to your desk waiting for the next life or death call to come in. You barely get a bathroom break, let alone a lunch break! Am I right? What’s a lunch break anyway? It’s not like you get to clock in and clock out just because you feel like it. People are depending on you! They expect you to be there when they call 911 in a panic about whatever awful thing is happening to them at that very moment. So, no, there are no breaks for you.

With no breaks, you are limited to the food options that are immediately available to you. Usually it’s takeout or whatever prepacked food you can quickly score from the vending machine so that you can sprint back to your desk. This can lead eventually to some serious health issues for you, as you need well-balanced, healthy meal options in order to stay alert, focused, and well, you guessed it – HEALTHY!

I’m going to share a few options that are as easy as 1-2-3 so that you can help yourself stay healthy! With the beginning of a new year underway, you can focus on a new you!

Here are a few health-friendly foods that you can pack at home to bring with you to work. Most don’t even require much prep work. Just some snack-size bags to help monitor portion control. It doesn’t do you any good to eat healthy if you overeat, and let’s honestly admit that we ALL overeat when we are stressed!

Healthy Options to Take to Work

1. Hard boiled eggs-- You can boil them at home, toss them in a Ziploc bag, and bring them along for the ride. They are high in protein as well as healthy fats, and they can make you feel full while containing very few calories.
2. Broccoli and cauliflower-- Toss fresh into a Ziploc bag, and you have a crunchy, easy snack when you get the urge to munch. They are high in fiber and are incredibly filling. If you have a microwave, you can steam them right in your kitchen to experience a softer texture.
3. Tuna-- You can grab tuna in a can or in flavor packs to bring with you to work. Tuna is very lean, low-calorie, and high-protein.
4. Cottage cheese-- You can buy this snack in individual-size containers, or you can get the economy-size and portion yourself to save some money. Again, this option is high in protein with very little carbs.
5. Nuts-- Almonds or cashews both are high in fat, but they’re not inherently fattening. They have balanced amounts of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Studies have shown that eating nuts can improve your metabolism. Just make sure not to go overboard, so try limiting to a 1oz sizes by using those small Ziploc bags.
6. Fruit-- Fruit is healthy and filling, and best of all, it tastes great! Grapefruit is highlighted as one of the best options for weight loss, and it’s fulfilling.

Go ahead, grab those snack. Give yourself a pat on the back you superhero you! And, while you watch out for everyone else, don’t forget that it’s important to watch out for yourself as well! Be well, be healthy!