Surviving Your Shift, Building Peer Support

Generational clashes at work can be a major headache. Today’s episode of “Surviving Your Shift” dives into why Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z often clash and how to turn those differences into your team’s biggest strength.

Do you ever feel like you’re speaking a different language when talking to your coworkers?

Maybe you’ve got older team members who think you’re being lazy or uncommitted because you’d rather be at home with your family than being at work all the time.

Or younger ones who seem like they expect a trophy simply because they showed up to work on time.

In today’s episode of “Surviving Your Shift,” we’re tackling the big issue of generational differences in the workplace.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL FIND OUT: 

• How to adapt your communication style to bridge generational gaps
• Strategies for building trust across different age groups
• Ways to turn generational differences into your team’s biggest strength

When we embrace a multigenerational workplace, we tap into a wealth of diverse experiences, skills, and perspectives, making our teams stronger and more effective.

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

Research:

https://www.firerescue1.com/preparing-new-officers-cross-generation-supervision/articles/practical-applications-of-generational-differences-among-fire-service-members-M4rt4FTdcYUp4GzL/

https://www.jems.com/news/understanding-embracing-the-multigenerational-workforc/

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Starting a career as a first responder is tough, but knowing these ten things before you run into trouble can make all the difference. Tune in to episode 15 to learn how to stay healthy, avoid common rookie pitfalls, and thrive in your career.

What are the ten things every rookie needs to hear?

Starting out as a first responder, you face intense challenges that can take a toll on your mental and emotional health. Are you prepared to navigate these hurdles?

Facing the emotional and mental demands of this career can be overwhelming, especially when you're new to the job.

But you don't have to do it alone. In this episode, Bart shares ten essential tips to help you not only survive but thrive in your first responder career.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER: 

• How to acknowledge and process your feelings healthily
• The importance of seeking support and developing healthy coping mechanisms
• Practical ways to stay connected with loved ones and maintain a strong support system

Remember, taking care of your mental health is a must for a successful and fulfilling career. Listen to this episode to learn how to integrate these tips into your daily life and set yourself up for long-term success.

Don't forget to share this episode with your peers and leave a review to let us know how these tips have helped you. Connect with Bart on social media for more insights and support.

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

Psychological Body Armor Course

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Feeling like you're constantly juggling work and home life, but still ending up feeling guilty and stretched too thin? Still trying to balance it all? If you're tired of feeling guilty and exhausted, it's time to explore a more effective approach to work-life balance.

Do you ever feel like you're juggling too many balls, trying to give equal time to work and home?

Balancing work and home life by giving equal time to everything leaves you feeling guilty and stretched too thin.

Stop trying to balance everything equally. Instead, integrate your work and home life to be fully present where you are, reducing stress and guilt

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN: 

• How to prioritize what's most important at work and home.
• The importance of creating margin in your life.
• Practical steps to communicate with your family and be fully present.

Remember, life's like pie. There's only so much to go around. Make the best of it and enjoy it while you can.

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Are you looking forward to retirement but wondering if you’re fully prepared? The thought of retirement can be both exciting and scary. Bart, our host, has successfully made the transition into retirement, and he will share how you can, too.

Are you worried about navigating the transition to retirement smoothly? 

Don’t be that person who gets to retirement and finds out they’re not prepared.

Life after a career as a frontline professional isn’t always what you pictured. Learn how to do it right.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN: 

• 5 Things You Need to Do Before You Retire
• How to be financially ready
• How to make the emotional transition

Retirement is a new beginning, not an end – embrace it with confidence and purpose.

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Dealing with emotional pain and suicidal thoughts is incredibly challenging, but this episode offers hope and practical steps if you are facing these struggles. Listen now as Bart provides guidance and support for you if you’re overwhelmed by the pressures of the job and life.

Are you thinking of suicide, feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?

For first responders, the daily stress, trauma, and pressures can feel unbearable, sometimes leading to thoughts of suicide.

In this episode, Bart Leger addresses the tough topic of suicide, offering hope and actionable steps for anyone feeling hopeless.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL HEAR: 

• How reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
• Practical steps to manage stress and improve your mental health.
• How to build a strong support network and the impact it can have on your well-being.

Your life is incredibly valuable, and there are people who care deeply about you. Remember, reaching out for help is a brave and strong thing to do. If you're in crisis, please call 988 or text HELLO to 741741.

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

National Suicide &  Crisis Lifeline: 988

Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741

PTSD911 Movie: https://ptsd911movie.com/

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Intrusive memories and images from the job can be a daily struggle for first responders. In this episode, Dr. Bart J. Leger shares practical strategies to manage these persistent thoughts and reclaim your peace of mind.

Ever find yourself haunted by intrusive memories and images from the job that keep popping up when you’re just driving down the road, or trying to get to sleep?

How do you stop it?

Instead of self-medicating or trying not to think about it, join us as we explore practical ways to turn off those intrusive memories and reclaim your peace of mind.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why these images and memories are coming back to haunt you.
• What you’re doing wrong.
• Five practical techniques you can try to keep these intrusive memories from taking over your life.

Want to jump right to the techniques to try? Go to 12:06.007 in the timeline.

No one should have to go on re-experiencing the tough calls you’ve already had to deal with.

Liked this episode? Share it and tag me @bartleger 

Love the show? Leave a review and let me know!

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Are you wondering if you’re still making a difference as a first responder or other frontline professional? Join me as I sit down with Mike Baldwin, a 20+ year veteran first responder as he shares how to know you’re making a difference.

What does it take to maintain humanity and empathy as a first responder?

Many first responders reach a point in their career when it seems like they’re on a big merry-go-round, same things over and over, without making much of an impact.

Listen as Mike shares stories that reveal the intense challenges of the job—from high-speed pursuits to heartbreaking cases—and how he has managed to maintain his integrity and compassion throughout his career and realize we’re making more of a difference than we think. 

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER: 

• Insights into handling high-pressure situations with courage and decisiveness.
• The emotional impact of being a first responder and how to manage it effectively.
• You are making more of a difference than you think.

Whether you're in law enforcement or any other high-stakes profession, Mike's experiences and advice are invaluable.

CONNECT WITH MIKE BALDWIN 

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

You may have never thought your agency’s chaplain had anything to offer you. But today’s guest, Jim Bontrager may surprise you with how down-to-earth and practical your chaplain can be when you really need them.

Have you ever wondered what a chaplain’s good for?

You’re not the first to think your organization’s chaplain can’t help you because you’re not religious.

It may surprise you to hear that your chaplain’s main responsibility is not religious.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL FIND OUT: 

• How early life challenges can be transformed into opportunities for profound personal and professional growth.
• The unique role of a chaplain in providing support and building trust within your community.
• Strategies for striking a balance between responsibilities at work and personal life, as well as how these experiences might improve your capacity for leadership and service.

Liked this episode? Share it and tag me @bartleger 

Love the show? Leave a review and let me know!

This podcast is sponsored by The Stress Care Doc. Organizations are losing money everyday to workplace stress and employee turnover. I deliver the training and structure they need to develop a resilient workforce. Organizations that work with us provide their employees with the supportive workplace they deserve.

CONNECT WITH Jim Bontrager

LINKEDIN | WEBSITE

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Being a first responder or working on the front lines means you’re facing stuff most people can’t imagine. Today, I’m talking with Dr. George Everly, Jr with ICISF, as he discusses how to develop what he calls Psychological Body Armor.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress in your frontline career? You might be missing crucial techniques to manage it effectively.

Many professionals struggle silently with stress, not realizing the toll it takes on their health and productivity.

Dr. George Everly, Jr. shares practical strategies that can transform how you handle stress, leading to improved health and job satisfaction.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• The historical development of the concept of stress and its impact on health.
• How attitudes and preventive strategies can significantly reduce stress-related risks.
• Techniques from Dr. Everly's "Psychological Body Armor™" training that can fortify your mental resilience.

Liked this episode? Share it and tag me @bartleger 

Love the show? Leave a review and let me know!

This podcast is sponsored by The Stress Care Doc. Organizations are losing money everyday to workplace stress and employee turnover. I deliver the training and structure they need to develop a resilient workforce. Organizations that work with us provide their employees with the supportive workplace they deserve.

CONNECT WITH DR. EVERLY: LINKEDIN | WEBSITE

CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

In this episode of Surviving Your Shift, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a pioneer of the "bulletproof mind," talks about mental resilience and self-control for first responders. Join us as he shares insights from his extensive experience in law enforcement training, focusing on how to thrive both on duty and beyond.

Are you constantly jumping from one emergency to another with barely a moment to breathe, let alone process what you’ve just experienced? The weight of being everyone's lifeline during their worst moments bears down, making it harder each time to gear up and do it all over again.

You might be making the mistake of underestimating the power of a bulletproof mind.

Let's explore how you can keep operating at peak performance under pressure.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• The profound effects of sleep deprivation on personal and professional performance.
• Techniques for enhancing mental resilience and maintaining calm in critical situations.
• Practical tips for managing stress and emotional responses in high-stakes environments.

Remember, every step towards mastering your mind and body significantly enhances your effectiveness and safety on the job.

Liked this episode? Share it and tag me @bartleger

Love the show? Leave a review and let me know!

CONNECT WITH LT. COL. DAVE GROSSMAN: | GrossmanOnTruth.com

LEARN MORE FROM BART: CONNECT WITH BART: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Why We Sleep by Dr. Matthew Walker

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.