Strengthening the overall health of firefighters with the "Comprehensive Self-Care for Life and Work" Workshop

The Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology -UMECIT-, through its headquarters in La Chorrera, carried out the academic workshop “Comprehensive Self-Care for Life and Work”, aimed at officials and volunteers of the Meritorious Fire Department of Panama.

The purpose of the activity was to provide psychoeducational tools that strengthen self-care in its physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social dimensions, which are essential for personal well-being and professional effectiveness. During the day, participants explored conscious emotional management practices, self-reflection, and comprehensive health strategies applied to their work environment.

The workshop was held within the framework of inter-institutional collaboration agreements that strengthen the link between UMECIT and the Panama Fire Department. He also had the support of the Psychological Clinic, which, together with two academic internship students, designed and implemented the activities.

The methodology integrated moments of theoretical reflection with practical activities such as conscious breathing exercises, emotional anchoring, planning self-care routines, and spaces for dialogue about experiences of stress and burnout in high-demand contexts.

The active, respectful, and collaborative participation of the attendees created an atmosphere of trust that allowed for the sharing of meaningful experiences and the development of collective learning.

This workshop stood out for coherently articulating the substantive functions of UMECIT:

• Teaching, by facilitating a teaching-learning process with the participation of students in practice.
  
  
• Research, by collecting qualitative data that will feed into future community interventions.
  
  
• Extension, by projecting university action towards strategic groups such as emergency services.
  
  

Management, reflected in the institutional articulation that allowed the successful execution of the activity.