Less than three months after retiring from a 30-year law enforcement career, Kim Colegrove's husband chose suicide. Since that day, Colegrove has been helping first responders across the country practice techniques to cope with the stress and trauma that their work brings. And this book continues that mission by offering first responders and their families hope by introducing meditation and mindfulness as viable and practical tools to help reduce stress, regulate emotion, and improve overall health and well-being.

Coping with the stress of first responder life

First responders have the incredibly difficult job of running toward danger while the rest of us run away. No training can prepare them for what they will see and endure. Colegrove understands this, and her personal experience opened her eyes to the desperate need for an effective form of stress relief and support for first responders.

No matter our profession, taking care of our mental health needs to be a priority. For first responders like cops and EMTs, ensuring that their heads are in a healthy place is crucial, because each day can bring them face-to-face with another trauma. With 40 years of experience, Kim Colegrove is here to share with listeners that there is a viable and practical resource for first responders found in meditation.

In 2017, Kim founded the PauseFirst Project, Mindfulness for First Responders. She teaches techniques that help reduce stress, regulate emotion, and improve overall health and well-being. Colegrove's work to bring awareness is a tribute to both her husband and the countless other first responders who struggle with the realities of their jobs.

Listeners will find evidence-based practices to help first responders and their families deal with stress, as well as interviews with first responders who share their stories of overcoming, surviving, and thriving.