The shift from “work mode” to “home mode” can be rough—and you’re not alone.
If you're working in wildland fire, you're used to chaos.
You're constantly scanning—watching your six, tracking the crew, making quick decisions, taking orders, giving orders... You're in it.
So when it's time to come home—to slow down, to relax—it doesn't always feel natural. The silence feels loud. The normal routines feel foreign. And maybe, if you're honest, you’re not quite sure how to switch gears.
That doesn’t make you the bad guy.
It makes you human.
Sometimes, you snap into command mode out of habit. Sometimes, you crave space—just a little buffer before diving back into life at home. And when someone you love says, “You’re different when you get back,” the guilt hits hard.
You start wondering: Am I doing something wrong?
You’re not. You’re doing your best. And it’s okay to need a transition period. You’re allowed to re-acclimate, in your own way, in your own time.
With the season just starting, this is a great time to do a little early-season prep—for your mind and your relationships. The chaos will come. The long stretches away from home will come. So set yourself up now. Build the habits and communication tools that make the transitions smoother later.
Here’s what might help:
🗣️ Say it out loud. Let your people know: “I need a little quiet/space when I get home. It helps me decompress.” Most folks aren’t mind-readers—but they do want to support you.
💪 Move your body. Go for a hike. Lift something heavy. Run it out. Physical activity helps your nervous system process all the noise from the fireline.
🧠 Avoid the easy escape. It’s tempting to numb with booze or distractions. But the real win? Learning to sit with the stillness. That’s where the reflection—and the healing—lives.
🙌 Give yourself permission to be different. Your experience changes you. So what if your reset doesn’t look like someone else’s? That doesn’t make it wrong. It makes it yours.
The truth is, you don’t just fight fires—you carry the weight of that unique life with you
But you also bring back grit, growth, and an ability to survive in chaos. You’re amazing—not in spite of how you feel, but because of it. So if home feels weird, hard, or uncomfortable at some point, that’s okay.
Give yourself space.
Be gentle with your people.
Be gentle with you.
And know this: You’re not broken.
You’re adapting.
And you’re doing a damn good job.