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5 Small Actions Transport Industry Workers Can Take to Improve their Mental Health

Looking after our physical health is something we hear about a lot.

Public health campaigns reinforce important health messages and organisations are required by law (and encouraged by moral and ethical stances) to ensure employees work in a safe environment. This also extends to providing a safe environment for mental health.

Mental and physical health are closely connected, but what is good mental health? Is it the absence of a mental health problem? Is it being happy all the time?

It’s normal for our emotions and feelings to fluctuate

We can’t be happy all the time – it’s normal for our emotions and feelings to fluctuate. Having good mental health means we can go with these fluctuations and still function, look after ourselves, maintain relationships with family and friends, and build new ones.

When our mental health is not good, it impacts our ability to function as we would normally do, including performing daily tasks.

The mind and body work together, connecting physical and mental health. In stressful situations, our brain releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. If we are faced with lots of stress these hormone levels increase and can have physical effects such as increasing our blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight leading to heart disease.

Keeping our bodies healthy helps combat stress and keep our minds relaxed. Keeping our minds relaxed and healthy helps keep the body healthy.

Risk factors for truck drivers

Truck drivers are at greater risk of experiencing poorer mental and physical illness. One third of all truck drivers are diagnosed with three or more chronic health conditions, physical and mental, which is four times the general population (1).

It’s important to understand the risk factors that add stress to our lives so we can work on ways to reduce them.

For truck drivers things like time away from home, dealing with other road users, limited access to good food and facilities, difficulties finding space to stretch and exercise, being away from support networks, money and time pressures, and long periods alone can make it hard to maintain good mental and physical health.

Five quick and easy ways to improve your mental and physical health

So, what can you do to maintain good mental and physical health?

  1. Connect regularly with family and friends, on and off the road;
  2. Take time to relax and rest your mind, even just a few minutes at a time – try meditation or mindfulness;
  3. Adapt exercise routines so they can be done anywhere – think stretching, squats, push ups, or yoga;
  4. Bring healthy food options with you wherever possible;
  5. Recognise when things may be getting on top of you – or others.

How can you be there for others?

Recognising the signs that you or someone else is not okay can be difficult sometimes because we’re all unique.

Mainly, we look for changes in the way the person looks, behaves and says they feel. Things like relationships, energy levels, enjoyment in activities, feelings of self-worth, personal hygiene and physical wellbeing can all be affected when pressures start to build.

Keeping in touch with each other, talking and listening, can help us recognise the early warning signs in others. Offering support and encouragement to those who need to seek help is also important as it ensures early intervention occurs and things don’t escalate.

What if you need help?

Help can include seeing a doctor, using an employee assistance program, contacting a crisis line or accessing other support services like Road Trauma Support WA. Training is also available for organisations and individuals to gain skills and knowledge to identify and help someone in need.

We can all do something to improve our mental and physical health. At times it can be a challenge, but it is important to think about what we can do rather than what we can’t.

Remember, even small things can help.


Guest authored by Engel Pendergast
Engel is an accredited Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK Instructor, and a Lifeline Crisis Supporter and Mentor. Engel has more than 20 years of experience working with local governments, communities, and organisations to build their capacity in achieving common goals.

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