Is “stress” all bad?

No.

In fact if you didn’t have any stress in your life you would be bored — and may even feel a little purposeless. Humans need to be challenged mentally and physically. The good side of stress — or Eustress — is what helps us grow and even reach peak performance. It’s where we are thriving.

But sometimes our stress levels tip from Eustress to Distress. Unchecked distress can lead to other mental health challenges like exhaustion, burnout, and crises.

In this episode, I speak with Battalion Chief of the Raleigh Fire Department and founding member of North Carolina’s Peer Support Program, Dena Ali . We talk about the stress continuum and its impact on work performance, and how a powerful antidote for stress is something we often forget to do: PLAY!

About Dena Ali

DENA ALI is a battalion chief with the Raleigh (NC) Fire Department where she has worked her way up the ranks. She previously served as a police officer for five years. Ali has a degree from North Carolina State University and an MPA from the University of North Carolina—Pembroke, where her research focused on firefighter suicide. Dena has also served as a subject matter expert at the National Fire Academy where she assisted in curriculum review for their health and wellness curriculum. Dena is an advocate of awareness, education, and understanding of mental health disorders and suicidality. She speaks locally and nationally on these topics and is a QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor. She has written several articles on topics such as suicide prevention, peer support, wellness, and post-traumatic stress. Dena is the founder and director of North Carolina Peer Support where she helped to develop their statewide curriculum. She is also a founding member of the Carolina Brotherhood, a group of cyclists/firefighters in North Carolina who honor the fallen and their families annually.

Show Notes

CONNECT WITH DENA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dena-ali-42099b21/

North Carolina First Responder Peer Support https://ncfrps.org/

FDIC International Speakers: https://www.fdic.com/speakers/dena-ali

VIDEO: Remarkable Woman Raleigh Fire Captain Dena Ali goes above the call of duty https://www.cbs17.com/video/remarkable-woman-raleigh-fire-captain-dena-ali-goes-above-the-call-of-duty/7508362/

PODCAST: Battalion Chief Dena Ali: ‘You can’t leave your baggage at the door’ https://youtu.be/Ie2T9nr5hcY

VIDEO: 2022 Remarkable Women Winner: Fire Captain Dena Ali https://youtu.be/JnuhjgtJW5c

PODCAST: Weekly Scrap #158 - Dena Ali, Sleep Suicide and Resiliency https://youtu.be/LFK2ughk2v0

PODCAST: Wellness at Work — What the Fire Service Can Teach Us about Creating a Kitchen Table Culture https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/51