Tag: wellbeing

Creating a positive and inclusive work environment is crucial for the overall well-being and productivity of the entire team onboard. By fostering respect, open communication, and equal opportunities, male seafarers can contribute to a supportive atmosphere that boosts morale and enhances the overall performance of their women colleagues. 

Ship managers and operators need to keep promoting efforts targeting not only the mental health but also the physical wellness of crew onboard, highlighted experts in a panel discussion during 2023 Crew Welfare Week in last June.

A unique form of work-related stress called job burnout is a state of physical or emotional tiredness that also includes a sense of diminished accomplishment and a loss of one's sense of self.

Kostas Katsoulieris, Senior Executive (Claims), NorthStandard, believes that wellness encompasses more than just happiness and that eventually, shipping will adopt a more comprehensive strategy for wellbeing as opposed to a piecemeal one.

Güven Kale, Chief Clinical Officer (CCO), MHSS, highlights that wellness requires a holistic approach that connects the mind, body, and spirit and explains how she managed to find a balance between her personal and business life. 

Gisa Paredes,  Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer for WellAtSea and Licensed Psychologist, says sector should embrace a detailed strategy on mental health, with regulations for workplaces to implement the bare minimum and the eradication of stigma associated with mental health.

During the 2023 Crew Welfare Week, Mr. Ronald Spithout, Managing Director, OneHealth by VIKAND, challenged the industry to rethink its human wellness strategy and consider a Crew Asset Management approach.

In its Q2 2023 Seafarers Happiness Index report, the Mission to Seafarers noted that the percentage of happiness about seafarers’ ability to keep fit and healthy on board, has fallen to 6.9 from 7.1

During a discussion on the second day of the 2023 Crew Welfare Week, ship managers focused on the key challenges related to seafarers’ wellbeing and highlighted the impact of technology and digitalization in shipping industry.

Social interaction is important for seafarers onboard their vessels as it supports their psychological well-being, promotes crew cohesion and teamwork, reduces stress, facilitates knowledge exchange, and fosters cultural and social adaptation.