Whether a short encounter or a formal arrest, we understand it may be difficult to remain calm around the police. This is especially true if the environment is hostile, or if the officer is having a bad day. However, it’s extremely important to remain calm when being arrested or pulled over by the police. Unfortunately, one wrong move around the police may be damaging. Additionally, anxiety or nervousness may cause you to exhibit physical red flags, whether you’re conscious of them or not.
ABC Bail Bonds of Houston has many years of experience with the police and have heard countless stories of arrests and encounters. We understand how scary it can be encountering the police—and we can’t stress enough how beneficial remaining calm is. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of 5 easy ways to stay calm around the police so you can be prepared.
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1). Breathe, Breathe, Breathe
First and foremost, proper breathing is vital in remaining calm around the police. Believe it or not, your breathing is choppy when you’re stressed or anxious. You may spend several moments without taking a breath or may be breathing too rapidly. The first step to remaining calm around the police is to be mindful of your breathing. Make sure you’re taking long, even breaths and maintaining a regular breathing pattern.
There are several breathing exercises that help you calm down when you’re anxious or nervous. One of these is the Navy SEAL breathing technique, called the 4×4 breathing method. This breathing exercise for calming down simply consists of breathing in for four seconds, and breathing out for four seconds. After doing this for about a minute, the human body naturally calms down and your anxiety symptoms reduce.
2). Recognize Your Thoughts
After breathing normally again, focus on your thoughts. Define them. What are you thinking at that very moment? If your thoughts are directly contributing to your stress and anxiety, call them out. Recognize your thoughts. When encountering the police, it’s very important to be conscious of your thoughts and recognize any toxic thinking patterns.
Your primary focus is to be safe around the police. In order to calm down, you must recognize your thoughts. If you ever encounter the police or face an arrest, breathe and then recognize your thoughts. Once you do that…
3). …and Then Challenge Them
…Challenge those thoughts. Doing so—especially around the police—takes mind power. Once your thoughts and breathing patterns are under control, eliminate any negativity contributing to your anxiety around the police.
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4). Relax Your Body
While what’s on your mind is important when dealing with the police, your body is equally as important. Unfortunately, your body shows when you’re under pressure. These may appear as clenched fists, raised shoulders, a clenched jaw, or visible sweating. All of these physical signs are red flags to police officers, regardless of how normal they are. Although police officers should be trained to recognize normal behavior related to anxiety, they often react impulsively.
For your safety, relax your body when encountering the police or facing an arrest. This includes dropping your shoulders, unclenching your jaw and fists, and taking deep breaths. Staying calm is very important when you’re dealing with the police, and relaxing your body is an effective way to calm down.
5). Change Your Focus
Once your body is relaxed, change your focus. After challenging your negative thoughts, focus on something positive or relaxing. We understand that this may be difficult given the situation, especially with the police involved. However, focusing on something positive will be a major benefit when calming down around the police.
Some examples of positive thoughts are your family, friends, or future prospects. When trying to calm down around the police, focus on everything important to you. Being motivated to remain safe will help you calm down around the police.
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Dealing With the Houston Police Department?
For Harris County residents dealing with HPD, no one understands your struggle more than ABC Bail Bonds. We have over 25 years of experience dealing with HPD and the Harris County court system, and strive to serve our community.
If you or someone you know is dealing with the Houston Police Department or being detained at a Harris County jail facility, contact us for fast and easy assistance. We get you out of jail faster than any other bail bonds service in Harris County, and offer affordable options for Houston residents.
