Corrections_Today_March_April_2023_Vol.85_No.2

■ WELL-BEING

be a religion and for others it may be the interconnected of all living beings. This sense of community and connection provides a feeling of safety and a way of understanding the world and our place in it.

Working toward a meaningful life goal is one of the most important strategies for well-being and resilience.

Goals The last aspect is goals. Having short-term and long-term goals improves well-being. The process of working toward a challenging goal is as important as achieving it. Working toward a meaningful life goal is one of the most important strategies for well-being and resilience. A goal that is personally chosen rather than imposed by work or others, will be stronger. Having goals provides a sense of purpose and a feeling of control over our lives, which adds to our self-esteem. It also adds structure and meaning for our daily activities and helps us master our use of time (Lyubomirsky, 2007). Conclusion The material in this article is meant to help organizations improve staff well-being by incorporating it in their staff training, both in orientation and in in-service trainings. Educating staff on the importance of what they do off the job and how they think will greatly improve their resilience on the job. These skills will help staff de-isolate, resulting in a transformation of the work culture. The feeling of isolation is the cause or it greatly worsens every one of the physical and psychological problems staff experience due to the chronic stress in most corrections and law enforcement settings. It is the organization’s responsibility to itself and its staff to provide the tools and skills necessary for staff to effectively do their job and remain on the job

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until retirement. This is a useful strategy to improve staff retention and thus return to full staffing. It is not an impossible goal. With the right training and policies in place, it can be accomplished. REFERENCES Gottlieb, Dan. Personal email on October 17, 2021. Lyubomirsky, Sonja. “The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want.” Penguin books 2007 McCraty, Rollin. “Science of the Heart; Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance, Vol.2.” HeartMath Institute, 2015. P.82 Perlmutter, David. “Alzheimer’s: The Science of Prevention.” Episode 10, The Power of Sleep. 2022 Suzuki, Wendy. “The Brain Changing Benefits of Exercise.” TED talk. 2017

John A. Shuford has been providing emotional intelligence staff development trainings for 30 years. He was formerly Correctional Training Coordinator II with the North Carolina Department of Prisons.

28 — March/April 2023 Corrections Today