Wellness is not just about physical health or the absence of disease or psychological disorder. Wellness also involves having a sense of purpose and deriving positive meaning from actions that reflect healthy values. In this sense, wellness is truly about “living the dream!” The ultimate result of experiencing purpose and positive meaning in our lives is fulfillment—feeling satisfied, content, blessed, or, for lack of a better term, spiritually “rich.”
This sense of meaning is the fuel that keeps us going, giving life flavor and richness. It helps us get out of bed each morning with “pep in our step” and a positive vision to move toward—even if that vision is small. Meaning guides how we spend our waking hours and the goals we pursue. That’s why meaning has such a critical impact on our quality of life—and even our health. The way we invest our time and the goals we set shape both our well-being and our destiny.
For many reasons (and I’m sure you can name a few!), working in corrections can challenge staff’s search for meaning. This is especially true for those in custody/security roles, where a “good day” may be narrowly defined as: “We all made it home in one piece, and in relatively the same shape as we arrived.” In such roles, where the focus is often on preventing something negative from happening, finding meaning requires extra effort—it’s hard to celebrate the absence of something.
Creating positive meaning in corrections—and holding on to it day after day, year after year, despite little evidence that staff’s efforts are making a significant or lasting impact—is nothing less than noble and heroic. It requires learning to see with fresh eyes, and sometimes it involves relentlessly searching for gold nuggets in torrents of mud. For they are there, waiting to be found.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve witnessed corrections staff thrive when they learn to infuse even routine or menial work with positive significance. These individuals learn to not take themselves too seriously, to not fall in love with their image or power, or be overly concerned with others’ opinions. Instead, they focus on doing their job to the best of their ability, sometimes minute by minute.
So, how can you create positive meaning for yourself? Here are some suggestions.
- Train your mind to look for the positive aspects of just about everything.
- Remind yourself that if nothing else, a mistake is a learning opportunity.
- Look for the beauty in the gift of every moment.
- Tap into what inspires you to be the best you can be.
- Remember the loved ones you are providing for by doing this work.
- Actively contribute to any degree—no matter how small it may seem to you—to the welfare of others.
- Pursue acts of courage, civility, and integrity—take the high road.
- Note and celebrate progress in yourself and others—both staff and the population you manage, and again, no matter how small it may seem to you.
- Model behaviors you want to see in others, remember that every interaction with either staff or justice-involved persons is a training opportunity that can influence others’ conduct.
- Seek to learn from others that you respect.
- Seek honest feedback from colleagues with whom you interact frequently.
- Highlight success stories, and share them with others.
- Point out to others the skillfulness required of corrections professionals of all disciplines to do a good job. During the course of their workday, corrections professionals may employ skills related to psychology, social work, public health, education, cheerleading, motivational interviewing, mentoring, spiritual encouragement, law enforcement, and warfare.
- Choose to let go of grudges, and learn how to do so, because acts of forgiveness are closely linked to emotional well-being, self-esteem, and life satisfaction.
During times when finding meaning in your corrections work seems hard to do, remind yourself that:
- When you face your fears and stand your ground by doing the right thing, you are being courageous.
- When you persevere in the pursuit of your values-driven goals in spite of disappointments, you show grit and gumption.
- When you exercise self-control in the face of provocation, you show your maturity and wisdom.
- When you support colleagues and help them do a better job, you show you are an asset to your profession.
- When you choose to mentor others, you contribute to the creation of a positive workplace culture.
- When you identify the silver lining in the cloud, you remain optimistic and in control of your attitude and your responses.
- When you choose to continue to do good and take the high road after you encounter injustice, you show your inner strength.
- When you choose to forgive, your show your nobility of character and you maintain your dignity.
So, to continue seeking meaning, ask yourself:
- What do I want to accomplish through my life, including my family life and my corrections employment?
- What do I want to be my predominant mood and attitude, the mood and attitude I am best known by?
- How can I impact people positively in my family and at my workplace?
- How can I create positive ripple effects in my community through my actions?
- How might my work have a positive impact on others, even for generations to come?
- How can I best respond when I accomplish something that to me is significant and noteworthy, yet nobody commends me for it or nobody even notices?
- How do I “bounce back” from disappointment and bitterness when confronted with what to me seems to be injustice towards me or others?
- How can I “refuel”—go from becoming discouraged to being encouraged again?
- How do I move past other staff’s failures, so I can continue to live according to my values?
- How do I move past my own failures, so I can continue to live according to my most values?
- What do I need to be pursuing intentionally today to feel like I am fully alive?
- At the end of the road in this life, what would I think was a life worth living?
