Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    recaap isc

    ReCAAP ISC: Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia

    uk ballast laws

    UK: New law restricts ships discharge of ballast water

    monkeypox

    WHO: Monkeypox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

    Bunker fuel contamination

    UK Club: Bunker fuel contamination cases on the rise

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    uk ballast laws

    UK: New law restricts ships discharge of ballast water

    Bunker fuel contamination

    UK Club: Bunker fuel contamination cases on the rise

    combination vessel rotor sail

    Combination vessel to be retrofitted with rotor sail system

    oil spill Terrebonne Bay

    Oil spill in Terrebonne Bay after storage tank collapses

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    cyprus shipping

    Cyprus to accelerate digitalization for shipping

    hapag lloyd

    Hapag-Lloyd to track containers in real time

    avikus

    South Korean companies to use autonomous navigation technologies

    wan hai lines

    Wan Hai names three smart containerships

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    uk mca ships detentions

    Seven new foreign flagged ships detained in UK ports during July 2022

    indonesia coal exports ban

    Indonesia to impose more coal export bans

    black sea mou cic stcw

    Black Sea MoU announces PSC Concentrated Inspection Campaign on STCW

    amsa psc annual report 2021

    AMSA PSC Annual Report 2021

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    audits

    Amendment in standard for bodies providing audits and certification of information security management systems

    nautical institute

    Nautical Institute Singapore Conference 2022 reveals speaker line-up

    ports congestion

    FMC Commissioner: US ports congestion result of lack of accountability

    wood cargo ashore

    Watch: Wood cargo washed ashore after falling from cargo ship

  • Columns
    undewater noise

    Port of Vancouver: Slowing ships down supports healthier ecosystems

    human sustainability

    Wilhelmsen: Competence is vital for industry’s sustainability

    WEF: Decarbonization offers opportunities for new green jobs and trade transition

    WEF: Decarbonization offers opportunities for new green jobs and trade transition

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    recaap isc

    ReCAAP ISC: Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia

    uk ballast laws

    UK: New law restricts ships discharge of ballast water

    monkeypox

    WHO: Monkeypox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

    Bunker fuel contamination

    UK Club: Bunker fuel contamination cases on the rise

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    uk ballast laws

    UK: New law restricts ships discharge of ballast water

    Bunker fuel contamination

    UK Club: Bunker fuel contamination cases on the rise

    combination vessel rotor sail

    Combination vessel to be retrofitted with rotor sail system

    oil spill Terrebonne Bay

    Oil spill in Terrebonne Bay after storage tank collapses

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    cyprus shipping

    Cyprus to accelerate digitalization for shipping

    hapag lloyd

    Hapag-Lloyd to track containers in real time

    avikus

    South Korean companies to use autonomous navigation technologies

    wan hai lines

    Wan Hai names three smart containerships

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    uk mca ships detentions

    Seven new foreign flagged ships detained in UK ports during July 2022

    indonesia coal exports ban

    Indonesia to impose more coal export bans

    black sea mou cic stcw

    Black Sea MoU announces PSC Concentrated Inspection Campaign on STCW

    amsa psc annual report 2021

    AMSA PSC Annual Report 2021

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    audits

    Amendment in standard for bodies providing audits and certification of information security management systems

    nautical institute

    Nautical Institute Singapore Conference 2022 reveals speaker line-up

    ports congestion

    FMC Commissioner: US ports congestion result of lack of accountability

    wood cargo ashore

    Watch: Wood cargo washed ashore after falling from cargo ship

  • Columns
    undewater noise

    Port of Vancouver: Slowing ships down supports healthier ecosystems

    human sustainability

    Wilhelmsen: Competence is vital for industry’s sustainability

    WEF: Decarbonization offers opportunities for new green jobs and trade transition

    WEF: Decarbonization offers opportunities for new green jobs and trade transition

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Mental wellbeing in times of stress: The COVID-19 case

by The Editorial Team
December 30, 2020
in Maritime Health, Maritime Knowledge, Seafarers
mental wellbeing 2
FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

While it is up to global regulatory enforcers to come up with an actual solution to resolve the crew change crisis, which is a red zone for seafarers’ mental health in these difficult days, maintaining mental wellbeing is mostly a personal business.

The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into an unprecedented humanitarian challenge for shipping which has been unable to ensure implementation of basic rights for seafarers in line with MLC, a situation that triggers a deteriorating anxiety and discouragement, fear and anger.

“Will I be able to leave the ship and return home for my scheduled leave?” or “Will my beloved ones stay safe and well?” are potential worries that can arise for seafarers who remain trapped on ships. And while the news of seafarers remaining prisoned onboard makes headlines in the public discussions, we should not forget that the same mental tiredness and feeling of insecurity apply for those who are unable to sign in.

So how could we combat stress to maintain a good and positive mental state? Recognizing potential symptoms is a great first step to mitigate the psychological effects experienced during lockdown:

RelatedNews

WHO: Monkeypox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

How to know if you have been hacked and what to do about it

 

10 common signs of anxiety and depression:

-Physically: 

  • Fatigue and sleep issues;
  • Decreased or no appetite;
  • Headaches, neck tension, gastrointestinal problems;

-Psychologically: 

  • Negative thinking;
  • Increased sadness or anger;
  • Worrying about your health and health of your loved ones;

-Behaviorally: 

  • Difficulty in concentrating or carrying daily tasks;
  • Irritability or crying;
  • Difficulty of making decisions; and
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs

 

What can I do?

As we expect external factors to be more propitious, there are some general, simple rules each of us can apply to maintain our internal balance:

  1. Stay informed but ensure reliable sources of information: To deal with any problem, you need to know as much as possible about it, but do not cross the line. Stop overloading of information that can have the opposite results and make sure you know how to identify inaccurate sources.
  2. Acknowledge the value of mindfulness: We may not choose the way we feel, but we can always choose how we react to those feelings. So, relax and control your breathing to find inner peace. Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.
  3. Remember that mental is physical: It is proven that mind wellness is significantly depended on body wellness, so get good rest, eat healthy and do not neglect exercise.
  4. Put people and things you enjoy in the schedule: Listening to your favorite music, reading a good book, watching funny movies or playing card games with good company can provide you with much more relief and energy than you think.
  5. Adopt positive affirmations: This is a practice of shifting your mindset by repeating positive statements to yourself during negative times. Choose positive affirmations that are powerful for you, and repeat them or write them down in a journal and read them aloud.

 

For seafarers trapped onboard

  • Do not isolate: We live in the connection era, so leverage the benefits of social media to contact your family or that friend you missed.
  • Do not keep problems to yourself: Choose a ‘touchstone friend’, a person that you trust and share your problems. If you feel lonely, reach out to others, do something together.
  • Encourage social interactions: Take initiatives for social activities onboard, don’t wait for others to think of all the good ideas!
  • Make life better for others: Research suggests that kindness improves wellbeing by evoking positive feelings and giving a sense of self-worth. Show your mates that you have each other in these times. Even the smallest act can count, whether it is a smile, a thank you or a kind word.
  • Do not hesitate to call dedicated helplines: There are several free, confidential, multilingual helpline for seafarers and their families available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, where trained people can hear you and consult you.

 

For seafarers trapped ashore

  • Establish a daily routine: Even at home, you can set a daily physical activity and a regulated sleep schedule.
  • Focus on the bright side: In every situation, things are not only white or black. You have a valuable opportunity to spend time with your family, to see your children growing up; don’t waste these on fears and
  • Do not be a couch potato: You don’t have to watch all the seasons of that series in one day; there are hundreds of other things you can do home! Feed your creative side. Now is the time to make that complex food recipe, and learn something new you never had the time before.
  • Engage in one pleasant activity every day: Hobbies reduce boredom and relieve stress by keeping us engaged in something we enjoy. The best way to cultivate a new hobby is to try something new.
  • Set small but realistic targets each day: The sense of achievement increases the dopamine and purpose for activity increases serotonin. These two hormones are essential for maintaining a good mood.

COVID-19 forced all of us to deal with the ‘unexpected’ and the above advice is all seafarers or any of us can do for themselves. But, while mental health is gaining increasing attention in all business environments, suicide data suggests that seafarers suffer a higher level of ill mental health compared to land-based workers, a factor that the shipping industry cannot afford to overlook, especially in such critical circumstances.

Tags: COVID-19life onboardmental healthsmwellness at sea

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

audits

Amendment in standard for bodies providing audits and certification of information security management systems

August 10, 2022
nautical institute

Nautical Institute Singapore Conference 2022 reveals speaker line-up

August 10, 2022
MARITIME EVENTS

RISK4SEA Facts

Did you know that Flag matters for 2020? Handysize with Belize flag had approximately 159% more on Detention Rate than the global average.

Learn more risk4sea.com

Explore

  • Safety
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • Events
  • Plus

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Contact

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Alerts
    • Accidents
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Opinions
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.