Wellness is currently a prominent topic for discussion within the maritime industry; having seafarers who feel engaged and positive is essential to boost morale onboard, and ensure that the focus is on operational excellence and safety. However, let’s not forget the employees working ashore, who also need to work in a healthy working environment where they feel motivated and excited with their role.
Lately, there are many campaigns and industry’s initiatives trying to address crew wellbeing issues. Focus has been shed on finding ways to address the five key aspects of wellness for people working onboard: Social, Emotional, Physical, Intellectual and Spiritual. Traditionally, the industry thought of seafarers as only ‘occupational’ human beings, but the current definition of wellness looks at the human being’s holistic nature, Mr. Alex Dimitrevich, Regional Crisis Response and Wellness Programme Coordinator in Europe, Sailors’ Society, noted.
What’s more, research on employee health and wellness has unveiled that investing in employees’ health can only have a positive impact on one organization’s success. To keep employees healthy throughout the year, employers need to step up their health and wellness game by committing to corporate wellness initiatives and considering what needs to be improved to stay engaged, motivated and healthy both physically and mentally. A better shore-based understanding of mental health not only brings improved awareness to the maritime space but also advances knowledge about the factors that influence mental health in the workplace, Johan Smith, Wellness Project Manager, Sailors’ Society, mentioned.
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There are lessons from land-based research, on the relationship between the built environment and human wellbeing, that need to be carried over to the shipboard context, Prof. Helen Sampson Director, Seafarers International Research Centre, Cardiff University commented. To address wellbeing issues, either for seafarers or office staff, a successful approach is needed; strategy, motivation, support and engagement are the keys towards that end.
In this context, SAFETY4SEA is pleased to launch SAFETY4SEA Wellness survey which will run within Q4 of 2019. The survey involves two parts:
- SAFETY4SEA Crew Wellness Survey with the aim to examine factors around seafarers’ life while working at sea and provide a picture to shipping organizations as they actually have very little information about it.
- SAFETY4SEA Employee Wellness Survey with the aim to examine factors around personnel working within maritime industry and provide a picture of their wellness status.
The survey refers to all people working at the maritime industry and requires less than five minutes to complete. Full anonymity is ensured throughout the survey while all demographics required are being used for analysis & verification purposes only. Results, key points and data analysis will be presented within Q1 of 2020.
Quick wellness facts
- Expressing gratitude boosts happiness and decreases depression
- Drinking green tea improves your working memory
- Exercise will give you more energy, even when you’re tired
- Learning a new language or playing a musical instrument gives your brain a boost
- Getting lost in a book can lower levels of cortisol, or other unhealthy stress hormones, by 67%.
- Maintaining good relationships with family and friends is good for your health, memory and longevity.
- Spending time in green space can reduce negative thoughts and boost self-esteem.
