Police College launched in 2012-13 four pilot workshops on Emotional Fitness and a collaborative research on training effectiveness with an Honorary College Advisor, Prof Winton Au of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The research findings released in late 2013 were encouraging and most participants found the training useful.

 

In the last two issues, four workshop participants shared their experiences of how to think positively, manage negative emotions, and develop positive emotions. In this issue, two other participants tell how they dispute negative thoughts.

 

"It was actually a storm in a teacup," a participant said. One day when he quarrelled with his wife over how to "tidy up", his negative emotions arose. Whenever negative emotions come, some people would suppress their emotions, wear "long faces" or react with fury. In the workshop, he learned how to "dispute negative thoughts". Firstly, he tried to understand his point of views. During the quarrel, he felt angry and being treated without respect and his wife was intolerant and inconsiderate. When he was clear about his views, he tried to calm himself down with "disputation".  He knew the quarrel was "temporary" because the problems would be resolved finally.

 

The discontent with his wife might be due to "misunderstanding".  After this review, he understood that his wife and he would "live in harmony" despite their different views. By then he had cooled down and dealt with the incident positively by communicating with his wife.  Though the problems still remained unsolved, their relationships were not ruined.

 

When negative thoughts are reduced, we will be in a better position to understand what are really important to us.  "Disputing negative thoughts" is not a way to cheat ourselves; instead, it helps us calm down when we are angry or depressed. It also allows us to understand an incident from different points of view.

 

Another participant commented: "The biggest benefit I got from the workshop is learning to appreciate myself and appreciate the people around me. 'Quick and perfect' is the requirement for most police duties.  It is a good requirement as it motivates us to get the job done with a very high standard.  But gradually, my supervisors and I took things done in a quick and perfect way for granted. Thus, a good job was not worth mentioning. We believed 'nothing is the best and things could be done better'. As a result, we became too demanding.

 

"Before the workshop, I thought it was a must to get a good job done and so that was not worth mentioning.  After the workshop, I have learned to appreciate my efforts to accomplish those 'perfect good jobs', for which I did my best in the past and my eagerness to take on challenges everyday."

 

"Once you appreciate yourself, you will also appreciate the people around you. Before the workshop, I took it for granted that people should 'do their jobs well'. After the workshop, I have learned to appreciate and recognise their insistence on 'doing the jobs well'. More recognition will bring more mutual trust, thus creating a harmonious working environment."

 

As most of the participants have found the workshop training useful, Police College will offer more similar training, including train-the-trainer workshops, Training Days packages and workshops for senior management, starting in the second half of this year.