Goals of this Module
- We can be proactive in improving our mental health;
- Using the support systems we have helps us to find solutions to problems rather than letting them go on;
- Identifying sources of help before an issue happens helps us to be prepared and gives us confidence to act.
Refresh: Lets look at your state of mental health again.
Where are you today?
Managing your Mental Health
We would all like to be in the “Thriving” area all the time but that’s unrealistic.
Most of the time we are in the “OK” section and sometimes in the struggling area.
- Being ‘OK’ is fine. We cannot be thriving all of the time;
- Its OK to struggle, it is part of life;
- When we are ill we need help and support. It is very important to realise when we are ill and to tell someone so we can get help and treatment.
We are all different and when we are struggling or experiencing mental ill health our feelings and behaviours are often different from how we are normally. For example we may:
- Think about what is worrying us all the time. The thoughts will not go away;
- Find it hard to go to sleep and/or stay asleep;
- Lose our temper more easily than we normally do;
- Be quiet and withdraw. We may not want to see other people. We may want to be alone and stay in our cabin;
- Find it hard to keep up with personal hygiene – brushing hair and teeth, taking a shower.
If this is what is happening for you, try to talk to another crew member about how you are feeling. Try to have a conversation about why this is happening and ask your crew member to help you find out about support that is available to you.
The important thing is to recognise where you are and to ask for help and support you need to move back to where you want to be.
Just like taking exercise to get physically fit, there are many things you can do to improve your mental health.
Improving Your Mental Health
5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing 
These steps help improve your mental health. Making the commitment to actively do each of these things can make a big difference to your state of mental health. You don’t need to do them alone, it’s even more fun if you can do them with others.
Connect: Find ways to connect as a crew. Organise movie nights, horse racing games, informal end of day catch ups in the ship’s rec rooms, pizza dinners, karaoke nights, PlayStation FIFA or sporting competitions.
Be active: Ship board table tennis tournaments, treadmill/rowing challenges, weekend basketball games are all great ways to be active.
Keep learning Most ships have a guitar or maybe more musical instruments. Learn from other crew members who play or look up self-learn guides. Spend time with another department to learn a new skill. You could organise community learning sessions once a week for cross discipline technical knowledge, or even a new language considering the multinational talent on-board.
Give to others: Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Think about fundraising. On-board raffles or collections for charities are a great idea. You could also collect old books to be discarded due to lack of space on board and donate them to seafarer’s welfare centres worldwide.
Be mindful Be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Activities like Yoga or guided meditation can help us to develop mindfulness, increasing our focus and improving our sense of self-worth and self-esteem.
Resilience Modules:
Resilience teaches you different techniques and strategies for dealing with difficult and complex situations. Learning from others and from your past experiences allows you to build your own toolkit of ways to deal with problems and bounce back.
As with physical training, the brain can be retrained, and the more you practise, the better and more skilled you become.
Go back and review the modules again.
Identifying Sources of Help and Support
Q: If you had a problem or were struggling, where would you seek help?
Please share with the rest of the team if you are willing to.
Things To Remember:
- We can’t always solve a problem ourselves (much as we think we can).
- Drawing on the knowledge, skills, experience and understanding of others allows us to solve problems and grow.
- Asking for help is not a weakness, it’s the recognition that maybe you don’t have the answer and need the advice or viewpoint of others. It may also be that you just need the reassurance that you are making the right decision.
- Identifying the types of support available helps us to offer solutions when there is a problem. This gives you the knowledge and the confidence to start dealing with issues rather than letting them linger, which causes more distress.
- Asking for help and support is a strength
Personal Support Systems
In the Resilience module “Making Connections” we identified the people we have in our work and personal lives who we can get practical and emotional support from. This might include help with things that need dealing with at home, while we are at sea. These connections can include:
- Family members
- Friends
- Work colleagues
- Neighbours
- Faith-based organisations
- Schools and parent groups
Having this type of support around you helps you when you are at sea and at home. They may be able to provide practical support to help with land-based issues when you are away at sea and be available to call on to support your family and friends.
Remember, this is not just what they can do for you; also think about how you would want to assist them if they asked for help.
Q: Think of people in your personal netowrk. What types of support could they help you with? If they asked you for help, what could you do for them?
Company Support Systems
When we are away from home at sea we are also dependent on our company organisation:
- On the vessel - Captain, Senior Management team, Medical Officer
- Onshore - DPA, Manning Agency
- Company-specific Support Systems**
- Medical top-cover
Examples of help provided:
- Sources of help and advice on the ship
- Getting you home in the case of a family emergency
- Medical advice for yourself or other crew members
- Support if you are bullied or harassed
** Many companies have their own support systems in place to help you. Find out what is available
Q: What sorts of support are provided by your company? Who would you approach for support for particular issues?
Seafaring Charities
The seafaring charities have a lot of useful support, advice and practical resources which can help you find the help you need. Here are some examples, but please check their website to see the full range of resources available:
Seafarer Help 24-hour helpline - available worldwide for seafarers
Mission to Seafarers – practical courses on managing your finances and responsible communications
ISWAN – Steps to Psychological Wellbeing
Sailors’ Society – Wellness at Sea
Apostles of the Sea – friends in port
There are many other reputable resources available which provide sensible help and advice and some more information can be found within this website under Industry Partnering and Support.
Q: Share with the group any other resource you have found useful in the past.
Exercise
Review the below scenarios in exerises 1 - 4 in turn and chose the best types of support for each. Individually then in groups, identify what sort of support you could use to help.
Q: Were there suggestions of types of support that you hadn't thought of? Did it make you think of other resources which may be available?
Be a Support to Others
Remember...
- You have many years of experience, knowledge and wisdom yourself.
- Always be prepared to help others when they ask, or you see them struggling.
- Working together, we can be greater than the sum of our individual parts.
Summary
Exercise 1
As a group, consider the following scenarios and decide who you would approach for help and support.
Q: You have just joined a new ship. You are unfamiliar with the new procedures on the ship around mooring operations. You want to make a good impression and want to make sure you get it right and are not seen as incompetent
Exercise 2
Q: You get an email from your partner at home. Your water tank is leaking and is damaging the roof. Your partner is worried and wants you to sort it out.
Exercise 3
Q: You have a phone call from your brother to let you know your father has had a heart problem and has been admitted to hospital. You are naturally very concerned about him.
Exercise 4
Q: A new member of crew has just joined the ship. For some reason they don’t seem to like you, even though they hardly know you. It’s starting to get you down and you are actively avoiding the mess and other communal areas to avoid them.