Wellbeing at Sea: A Pocket Guide for Seafarers

By Connie Gehrt and Georgina J Robinson

Seafaring is a very demanding profession. Being far away from family and friends, unable to leave the workplace, and having fewer choices during non-working hours can affect a seafarer’s physical, mental and emotional health. For seafarers, whilst on board, the ship is not only their place of work but also their home. This practical guide will offer guidance for seafarers on fitness and diet, general health, personal and social wellbeing, mental health issues, and relationships and communication. With an extensive appendix, it also provides useful advice to help seafarers cope with everyday life. Easy to read and full of illustrations, this pocket book will be an essential resource for seafarers who wish to enjoy a state of healthy wellbeing at sea.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TSO
• Release date: May 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9780115539558

Connie Gehrt

Connie S. Gehrt has a long experience with occupational health and safety at sea and has been working in the maritime industry since 2002. Connie is the managing director and owner of the consultancy company CONOVAH - Health and Safety Solutions, which, among others, provides consultancy and training worldwide on wellbeing, stress management, suicide prevention, bullying and harassment, leadership, ship–shore communication and safety, and provides global psychological crisis counselling. She has been doing a study on loneliness at sea and she provides leadership and business coaching. She is also a counsellor at the Danish Suicide Prevention Lifeline. From 2007–2017 Connie was the managing director of SEAHEALTH, Denmark. During her management SEAHEALTH developed to be a worldwide recognised organisation for providing important tools and guidelines for the industry. Before that Connie worked as a special advisor and chief counsellor for the Danish Maritime Authority. She has a master’s in law from University of Copenhagen and a master’s in the psychology of organisations from Roskilde University. She also has coaching and leadership education from DISPUK.

Book preview

Introduction

Seafaring can be an exciting and rewarding job, but it can also challenge your mental, physical and emotional endurance. Wellbeing is an important part of keeping yourself healthy and happy onboard.

Wellbeing isn’t just about your physical health; it’s about your social, emotional and mental health too. Wellbeing means you’ll cope well with challenges, feel good about yourself, and be able to form and maintain meaningful relationships. In short, wellbeing affects everything you do in your day-to-day life.

If you feel like your wellbeing is suffering, talking to a loved one or a professional can help. Your company may provide some contacts for you, and you’ll find others at the back of this book. When you’re at sea, being able to spot threats to your wellbeing will put you in control of your health and let you catch problems before they become serious.

This pocketbook contains easy-to-read information on a range of wellbeing issues and includes practical ways to manage your wellbeing while you’re onboard.

Structure of the book

This book is split into four sections:

1) General health and wellbeing

2) Personal and social wellbeing

3) Mental and emotional wellbeing

4) Appendix, including tips for relaxation, exercise and general health.

The headings within each section contain features (see image below) to help you spot and manage wellbeing issues.

1 General health and wellbeing

1.1 Diet

Controlling your diet onboard a vessel might be difficult because you have a limited choice of food.

The quality and amount of food that you have onboard will depend on the company that you work for, but you can still make good choices with what you’re given.

A balanced diet gives your body all the vitamins and nutrients it needs.

Vitamins and nutrients are substances that help your body to function normally. Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1 show the recommended daily intake of different foods for an adult.

Aside from having a balanced diet, it’s also important to be aware of calories.

Calories are the amount of energy in an item of food or drink.

The average adult needs 2000–2500 calories per day to maintain a healthy body weight. You may need more or less than this, depending on how active you are.

You should get all the calories that you need from a healthy and balanced diet.

There are many fitness and diet apps you can use to work out how many calories you need per day. You can also use these apps to find out how many calories you are getting from different foods.

Table 1.1 The proportions of foods that adults are recommended to eat each day

1.1.1 Risks of being underweight or overweight

Eating too little or having a diet that is low in vitamins and nutrients can lead you to become underweight.

Being underweight can cause you to have:

•Brittle bones that break easily

•A weak immune system, so you get ill more often and recover slowly

•Fertility issues.

The food you eat will affect how much energy you have during the day.

Eating too much or eating a lot of sugary or fatty foods can lead to your becoming overweight.

Figure 1.1 A balanced diet. Source: Crown copyright. Public Health England in association with the Welsh Government, Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland.

Figure 1.2 shows some of the risks associated with being overweight.

Figure 1.2 The risks of being overweight

Check your body mass index

Calculating your body mass index (BMI) can show you if you might be overweight. Be aware that BMI might not be accurate for everyone. You should just use it as a general guide to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.

1) To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, and then divide the answer by your height in metres again.

For example: Weight = 70 kg, Height = 1.75 m

Calculation: 70/1.75 = 40, then 40/1.75 = BMI of 22.9

For most adults, a BMI of:

•18.5 means you’re underweight

•18.5 to 24.9 means you’re a healthy weight

•25 to 29.9 means you’re overweight

•30 to 39.9 means you’re obese

•40 or above means you’re severely obese.

Note: if you’re very muscular, you might have a high BMI, so check your waist circumference too.

2) You can use a measuring tape to measure your waist. Men with a waist measurement of 94 cm or more, and women with a waist measurement of 80 cm or more, are at risk of developing obesity-related health problems.

Tips for improving your diet

✔Download a healthy-eating app to help you monitor what you eat.

✔Aim to drink 2 litres of water a day (read more in section 1.2 ).

✔Don’t deprive yourself of treats. Just control your portion sizes.

✔Don’t skip important meals like breakfast.

✔Try to keep a balanced diet. Eat more fruit and vegetables when you have a chance.

✔Avoid adding salt or other condiments to your food. A lot of the food you eat at sea will be canned. Canned foods contain a lot of salt already, so try to avoid adding more, because this can raise your blood pressure. (See section 1.5 for information on blood pressure.)

1.1.2 Special diets

Some people have a restricted or controlled diet for moral, medical or religious reasons. Be sensitive about your crewmates’ choices.

If you have a special diet, you should inform the master, the company and the cooks onboard, so they can make the necessary arrangements.

You have the right to have access to food that meets your religious or cultural needs. This is covered in Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) regulation 3.2.

1.1.3 Allergies

Allergic reactions happen when your immune system incorrectly starts attacking something that you’ve eaten, inhaled or touched, thinking that it’s a threat to your body.

This response can be immediate or it can happen up to 24 hours later. Table 1.2 lists some common reactions.

Table 1.2 Symptoms of mild and severe allergic reactions