Protecting and Boosting the Mental Health of Long-Haul Drivers
Any job is going to come with its own health risks - even sitting at a desk in an office or at home, which can sometimes seem devoid of risk, carries posture and mental health risks. These issues are also largely present with people who make a living by driving lorries long-haul. However, unlike people who work at a desk (especially at home), advice focused on simply taking a break doesn't apply - you can't just hop out of the lorry, after all.
So, what's the best course of action to ensure people in this line of work don't see their mental health suffer?
Health and Mental Health Connections
How health and mental health are all tied together can create some problems for the lifestyle many lorry drivers experience. For example, you might get fast food regularly because it's cheap, easy, and allows you to access it quickly from the road. However, this is obviously going to take a toll on you over time.
Understanding that might help you to create allowances in your schedule for healthier eating - not to eliminate fast food entirely as that might be unrealistic for your schedule, but just to ensure that you're looking after yourself. This alone can have a profound impact on your mental health which makes it well worth exploring.
Relaxing with Mental Health in Mind
When it does come time to take a break, and unwind with something that you enjoy, it's important to make a small consideration for your mental health - even if this sometimes feels as though it's counter to the activity itself. For example, if you like to unwind by visiting an online casino and playing poker or slots, you might think of implementing some measures to keep this as healthy as possible.
Not only might you read up on responsible gambling habits - such as taking regular breaks and setting yourself a time window - but you might also set yourself a budgetary limit so that it doesn't go over what you expect it to. This, in a sense, can allow you to continue doing what you enjoy without having you feel as though it's coming at the cost of your mental health.
Finding Time
Of course, when it comes to activities that are specifically aiming to make a difference to your mental health, that central problem of not being able to find the time still applies. If you're on the road for incredibly long hours, the free time that you do have might be spent getting something to eat, or sleeping, or, when you're home, seeing your friends and family.
It can be difficult to make time for something like going for a walk in nature, even when you know that it's going to be beneficial.
It's difficult to feel those benefits so immediately, which can make it less of an appealing activity - but if you force yourself to find the time, it might not be long before you notice the results.