Power of the Present-Moment: Tools to Recalibrate for First Responders

James Leath - O2X Integrated Specialist, City of West Palm Beach

The moment before everything happens...

Before the siren blares. Before the radio call. Before the split-second decision that can change a life.

In that space, between stimulus and response lies your greatest advantage: presence. It's not just a state of being, it's a powerful tool that puts you in control of the situation. Being present is not a luxury; it’s a crucial skill that helps you maintain focus when chaos arises. It enables you to become aware of your body, your breath, heart rate, and concentration, allowing you to recalibrate before your next action.

For first responders, presence isn’t about relaxation. It’s about readiness.

At O2X, we define readiness as the ability to perform at your best, physically, mentally, and emotionally, when it matters most. During a Readiness Assessment, we measure factors such as strength, endurance, sleep, nutrition, and mindset, as they all influence how well you respond to stress. Presence is the mental side of that readiness equation. It’s what allows you to take everything you’ve trained for, your fitness, your skills, your tactics, and bring it online when the call drops.

Presence means staying aware of your internal state so you can adjust in real-time: slowing your breathing when your heart rate spikes, grounding yourself after a tough call, or resetting your focus before your next one. It’s not calm for calm’s sake, it’s control under pressure.

The Science Behind Presence

Presence begins with interoception, the ability to sense what’s happening inside your body. It’s that split-second awareness when you are noticing your pulse start to race before a call, the tension building in your shoulders mid-scene, or the shallow breathing that sneaks in when things get intense. Most of the time, those signals happen below awareness. However, the more skilled you become at noticing them, the faster you can regulate them.

Strong interoceptive awareness improves emotional regulation and stress recovery¹. It’s the difference between being carried away by adrenaline and using it as fuel. When you can read your internal dashboard, heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, you can choose how to respond instead of reacting on autopilot. That awareness doesn’t just steady your body; it sharpens your judgment, your communication, and your ability to recover after the call.

Three Tools to Recalibrate

1. The 90-Second Reset

When adrenaline hits, it can feel like your body is stuck in overdrive, but that surge is short-lived. Research on cardiovascular recovery indicates that heart rate and blood pressure typically return to normal within one to two minutes after the stressor ends². This is where the '90-Second Reset' comes in. The 90-second reset is a quick emotional regulation trick, simple, surprisingly effective, and great for high-stress settings (so it lines up well with the work you do with tactical folks). It's a practical technique that allows you to pause, breathe, and let your body reset before re-engaging.

2. Name the Noise

Studies using fMRI show that naming emotions lowers the activity in the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) and increases control in the prefrontal cortex³. Naming the noise doesn’t make it disappear. It makes it manageable. When your thoughts are racing, the mind starts asking, “what if,” “why now,” “what’s next” questions about some future that hasn't happened yet, labeling the feeling: “frustration,” “anticipation,” or “anger.” 

3. Paced Breathing (5-6 breaths per minute)

When your system is overloaded, slow breathing can bring it back online. Controlled breathing at around six breaths per minute improves heart-rate variability and strengthens autonomic regulation⁴. 'Paced Breathing' is a powerful tool that can help you regain control. Try inhaling for five seconds and then exhaling for five seconds. Two minutes of this can change how you think, feel, and move.

Why This Matters

Being present is not about staying calm, it's about staying ready. Presence is the skill that sharpens your awareness when the pressure spikes, protects your decision-making when seconds count, and helps you recover faster when it’s over. In the context of emergency response, 'the ability to be present' is not just a skill, it's a necessity that can enhance your performance and well-being.

The body will always react; that’s what it’s designed to do. Instead of reacting, presence gives you the power to respond, like in that moment you catch yourself just before snapping at a teammate. It’s the breath that steadies your hands and turns the awareness of the chaos into clarity.

As emergency responders, readiness isn’t a one-time achievement, it’s something you have to earn every day. Fatigue, shift work, and emotional stress can erode your ability to respond clearly and effectively. Presence is the tool that rebuilds that readiness from the inside out. It’s how you reset your nervous system between calls, stay grounded in conflict, and bring your best self home at the end of the shift.

The next time the world goes loud, when radios crackle, alarms sound, and adrenaline surges, just remember: there’s power in the pause. Presence is not just a concept, it's a necessity in your line of work.

References

1. ¹ Khalsa, S. S., Adolphs, R., Cameron, O. G., Critchley, H. D., Davenport, P. W., Feinstein, J. S., … Paulus, M. P. (2018). Interoception and mental health: A roadmap. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 3(6), 501–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.12.004

2. ² Garfinkel, S. N., & Critchley, H. D. (2016). Threat and the body: How the heart supports fear processing. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(1), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.005

3. ³ Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x

4. ⁴ Lehrer, P. M., Vaschillo, E., & Vaschillo, B. (2000). Resonant frequency biofeedback training to increase cardiac variability: Rationale and manual for training. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 25(3), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009554825745

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About O2X Integrated Specialist James Leath:

James Leath is an O2X On-Site Human Performance Specialist in West Palm Beach, specializing in mental performance and leadership development. With a career dedicated to helping individuals excel in high-stakes environments, James brings deep expertise in resilience, focus, and cognitive readiness to his work supporting tactical and municipal professionals.

Before joining O2X, James served as the Head of Leadership Development at IMG Academy, where he worked with elite organizations such as the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Drawing from this experience, he delivers customized, evidence-based strategies that enhance decision-making, stress management, and team cohesion in demanding operational settings.

James integrates the O2X EAT SWEAT THRIVE pillars to promote sustainable high performance through mental, physical, and nutritional practices. A published author and former coach, he holds a Master’s degree in Performance Psychology from National University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from California State University, Fresno.