09/28/2026
Dr. Kevin Gilmartin talks about the idea of the āmagic chairā in Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement.
That idea has stuck with us here at Reps For Responders because the job does not always end when the shift ends.
You can leave work, but still carry the noise, the adrenaline, the frustration, the hypervigilance, and the things you had to shut off emotionally just to get through the day. If you walk straight through the door without checking in with yourself, sometimes your family gets whatever version of you the job left behind.
Look at your feetā¦sit for a minute. Breathe and notice what is happening in your body. Ask yourself what you are carrying and whether it belongs inside the house with you.
Not because you need to be perfectly calm before you see your family, but because awareness gives you a choice.
The person walking through that door is not on duty who was dealing with chaos earlier.
Sometimes the most important part of the drive home is the last few minutes.
A place to pause, reset, and decide what version of yourself you are bringing through the door.
The job gets enough of you. Your family deserves your presence too.
