By: Maureen Borberg

Deciding to deploy can be daunting. It requires making quick decisions that completely alter the course of one’s life. Leaving family, friends, and familiarity to pursue a career where nothing is guaranteed can sound almost impossible. However, alongside the material benefits of emergency deployment, there is a profound psychological impact. While the wages are excellent and very necessary, the emotional and cerebral benefits are inherently more valuable. Emergency deployment provides the opportunity to expand one’s horizons, both in knowledge and culture. It allows one to leave their comfort zone and seek new life experiences. The community that encompasses emergency deployment is one of comradery and friendship, presenting the opportunity to forge relationships that can last a lifetime. The most rewarding profession in our modern world battling a global pandemic, to spend one’s days voluntarily helping others, is proven to combat depression and negativity. New studies show assisting others to regulate their emotions helps one improve their emotional management (Pogosyan, Marianna. “In Helping Others, You Help Yourself”). 

Leaving a familiar zone is also proven to promote a sense of satisfaction and self-discovery often missing in our everyday lives (Joshua Miller. “7 Benefits from Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone”). The globalization impacting the culture and tradition of communities worldwide, it is imperative we explore these communities and observe their lifestyle. Exploring the world does not always mean traveling to the Congo and visiting villages by boat. Instead, it includes visiting the closely-knit small towns of one’s own country or state. It also involves adventuring to large metropolises and observing the cultural melting pot which tends to congregate in cities. Through the simple act of leaving a familiar hometown, one is exposed to a vast expanse of knowledge and culture. This exciting expansion of horizons can provide one with a sense of sophisticated understanding beneficial to emotional well-being. The emergency deployment process allows one to acquire new knowledge and worldly experience, supplementing these psychological benefits and promoting overall happiness.

The creation of lasting friendships and shared understanding is another beautiful part of an emergency deployment. The people with whom one saves lives and spends most of their waking hours can quickly become a valuable support system. It is known that, as humans, we require physical interaction with others. What we often fail to realize is the profound impact this togetherness has on our emotional stability. To maintain a healthy and happy psychological lifestyle, many agree human connection and relatedness are a necessity. Not only do the friends one works with impact their psychological well-being, but also the friends one saves. Doing good for another person promotes happiness. The same regions of the brain control our response to reward activates when performing generous acts. Similarly, when we help another control their emotional reaction to external stimuli, including pain, our emotional management is strengthened (Pogosyan, Marianna. “In Helping Others, You Help Yourself”). 

As we can see, the emotional benefits of emergency deployment are as extensive as the material. If you are ready to take the next step on the path of psychological health, you may want to consider emergency deployment. 

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