In line with the international research and training practices on positive psychology and resilience, Police College organised four pilot workshops on Emotional Fitness and conducted a collaborative research with an Honorary College Advisor, Prof Winton Au of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, on training effectiveness in 2012-13.  The four workshops aimed at enhancing officers' resilience and wellness.

 

The workshop training was not meant to train up officers to suppress or tolerate negative feelings arising from stressful work or personal life, but to teach officers empirically validated skills to enhance positive emotions and recover effectively from stressful experiences. Such training, as far as its relevance to work is concerned, complements and goes tandem with the professional actions required and expected of the officers operating under trying circumstances in different scenarios.

 

The research findings presented in late 2013 showed that Emotional Fitness training helped enhance officers' resilience, cognitive flexibility, happiness and relationships with colleagues and families. In fact, a majority of the workshop participants rated the course as "Outstanding" and "Very Good" and considered they had learned useful techniques to deal with negative thoughts and emotions. These would help them improve work performance and inter-personal relationship.

 

Police College will provide more training in Emotional Fitness, including train-the-trainer workshops, Training Day packages and workshops for senior management, starting in the latter half of 2014. The workshop participants will share their experiences in three issues of OffBeat.

 

In this issue, an officer revealed that a month after he joined the workshop, his son started primary schooling. He took vacation leave on his son's first school day because he had promised to accompany him to school with his wife. However, due to office commitments, he had to withdraw his leave application and was unable to take his son to school. He recalled what happened day: "When I returned home, my son did not talk to me and my wife was unhappy too.

 

"I work hard because I want to earn promotion so that I would improve the living conditions of my family. I do all things for them. Will my son ignore me if I put my job in top priority next time?" Also feeling unhappy, he did not talk to his family that day.

 

The officer thought over and over again and finally analysed the issue by applying the four rules of dispelling negative thoughts. Looking into the whole issue again, he firstly followed Rule 1 of "searching for evidence". His son and wife did not say anything about his failure to show up. Secondly, he followed Rule 2 of "finding the underlying causes", thinking about the issue from other points of view based on the evidence found.

 

His son ignored him, and this might simply because he was not adapted to his new school life. His wife ignored him simply because she was worried about their son.

 

He then followed Rule 3, "checking the consequences". It was finding out the consequences if his family was really unhappy with him. He realised that they would stop communicating in a couple of days and his son would not play with him.  Lastly, he followed Rule 4, "weighing gains and losses". He realised that the deadlock would compromise his relationship with family and work performance. After applying the four rules, he started taking initiatives to show care to his son and wife, and did not harbour any negative thoughts.

 

The officer believes he would work more happily with the support of his family.  Therefore, he strikes a balance between work and family life. The four rules are the effective ways to develop positive thoughts and improve relationship with family.

 

Another participant learned from the workshop "counting the blessings everyday". For her, any big or small things could be good and thankful, for example a good lecture, a big lunch or an unexpected free ride. A thankful heart would boost positive energy and enhancing positive emotions would help to deal with adversity.

 

The skills she learned in the workshop are very useful for her daily life.  She will maintain her positive thoughts, try hard to make good changes and be happier.  After the workshop, she still insists on "counting my blessings everyday".  She also encourages her family and friends to have thankful hearts and remain optimistic because she hopes they all would have a happy life.