Written by: B.S. Student, Katy Simpson

As you can imagine, Police Officers and Firefighters are faced with hazardous stressful situations on a regular basis. Three out of four of the most stressful careers are Military Personnel, Firefighters, and Police Officers. On a sad note, according to the FBI from 2008 – 2012 the amount of Police Officers who have committed suicide was twice the number of officers that were killed by felons. The stress placed on a Firefighter alone can cause many to have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

The effects from stress from these careers in Public Safety are the reasons why it is important for Public Safety employees to de-stress. There is always the option to go to the gym or stick to the same old hobby to try and relax. But what most Public Safety employees do not know about is the tremendous mental health benefits from art. That’s right, art!

If you think about it, art has no right or wrong answer, definition, or solution. Police Officers as well as Firefighters spend a lot of their time using investigative and logical thinking skills. Participating in an activity that does not involve using the same skills as you would in your career is what can make an activity relaxing. Although there are misconceptions that art has to be perfect or that you have to be a talented expert, art is for everyone especially the mental health benefits.

It is innate human behavior to long for a sense of accomplishment. Creating your own art piece will give you that exact same feeling which in return will increase your level of dopamine (a “feel good” neurotransmitter in the brain) and boost your motivation, focus, and concentration levels. Another great benefit from art that Public Safety employees can greatly benefit from is the increase of Brain Connectivity and Plasticity. Engaging in new activities such as art is when the brain creates brand new connections between brain cells. This growth process is called brain plasticity. While creating art your brain is stimulated by communication. The overall benefits from these processes are proven psychological resilience and resistance to stress!

The SPC Allstate Campus, located 3200 34^th St. S., will have artwork displayed in the south hallway, near  the Florida Room on campus. This show is free and open to the public from 7:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. Monday through Thursday and from 7:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Friday. All displayed artwork is available for purchase through the artist .