2025-07-28 – Health – www.theguardian.com
From trampolines to smartwatches, the job has changed how I see everyday life. It’s a kind of hyper-awareness that doesn’t switch off
Before I became a paramedic, I didn’t expect the job would change how I load a dishwasher. Or eat a sandwich. Or look at trampolines. I knew it would change how I see others – watching people die tends to do that. But nearly 10 years in, I’ve realised how much it’s quietly altered my day-to-day life.
Being a paramedic makes you see danger everywhere, so you avoid risks because you’re always expecting you’ll need to spring into action, even when you’re not in uniform. Once you’ve seen as many stretchers loaded with avoidable disasters as I have, you end up wired differently, and always brace for the next catastrophe.