“Put your mental health first”
– World Health Organization
The officers and crew of Bow Trajectory joined in the celebration of the World Mental Health Day on October 10 by sounding our horn at sea to show our support to World Health Organization’s (WHO) mental health campaign and being committed to giving paramount importance in maintaining a healthy atmosphere on board amidst the challenges brought by the pandemic.
Everyone is adjusting to a new normal way of life while the world is finding a way to navigate out of this pandemic. It is undeniable that stress is now considered a major concern that has a considerable impact on seafarers both on board and ashore due to several factors affecting the shipping industry. The privilege of shore leaves and on-time crew changes are examples.
There is no doubt that going ashore is a stress reliever. There is always fun in visiting new places and shopping in our favorite shops. I know a lot of us miss Walmart, Best Buy, Tanger Outlets, and the malls every time we call US ports, as well as the strolls on the beach in Brazil. The excitement that we feel and the bond we share create remarkable memories that refresh our minds and lessen our stress after a long voyage.
Since last year, a number of seafarers have tested positive with Covid-19, unable to join the vessel on schedule. This unfortunate incident not only affects the emotions of the on-signing seafarer; it also causes anxiety and disappointment to the off-signing crew who are looking forward to seeing the family after spending long months on board.
According to WHO, stress means “feeling troubled or threatened by life”. If you are experiencing stress, you are not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times. A little bit of stress is not a problem. But very high stress can affect the body.
Let us share with you the five skills that we learned from WHO’s mental health campaign that may help in managing stress on board:
Grounding
Sometimes our feelings and stories are so overpowering they turn into “emotional storms”. An “emotional storm” means that experiencing intensely difficult thoughts or feelings. Grounding helps us cope with and overcome an emotional storm by connecting us to the present moment. One of the most popular grounding techniques is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: When anxious or overwhelmed, bring yourself back to the present moment by noticing five things you can see, four things you can feel or touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
Unhooking
When something is on a hook, it cannot get away as the hook traps it. In the same way, we can get hooked by our difficult thoughts and feelings. One moment, we are enjoying a meal with a colleague, the next we are plagued by worry over something that is yet to happen. One way to unhook ourselves is to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings without any judgment, and label them.
Acting on values
Our values describe what kind of person we want to be, and how we want to treat ourselves and others and the world around us. Actions are what we do with our arms, hands, legs and feet, and what we say with our mouth. Acting in a way that contradicts our values can make us feel anxious. Address this by doing a simple act, e.g. reaching out to a friend, if nurturing relationships is among the things you hold dear.
Being kind
Studies have shown that kindness leads to a better well-being. Caring for others, lending a helping hand, or just offering a shoulder to cry on to whoever needs it make us feel better, just as these actions make others feel good. However, many of us are not as kind to ourselves when we are in difficult situations. While it is good to be kind to others, it is also important to be kind to ourselves.
Making Room
Think about the sky, and notice how it has room for all sorts of weather, be it a good one or a bad one. The weather always changes, yet the sky remains the same. Our thoughts and feelings are like the weather: there are good ones, and there are bad ones. And we can be like the sky, making room for all sorts of weather, and understanding that both the best ones and the worst ones eventually pass.
We on board Bow Trajectory call on fellow seafarers to be an ear and listen to any colleague on board who might be in emotional distress. Let us normalize having the courage to start a conversation – we’ll never know when we’re helping someone to calm an emotional storm, or actually saving a life.
