We all face stressful, rainy, and moody days – life isn’t just a pile of happy and care-free moments. Seafarers often face extreme weather conditions, time away from family, demanding shifts and isolation. At times of distress, it’s difficult to think rationally, and we often allow our emotional brain to overshadow our decisions and behaviours, causing problems in the future, and sometimes influencing our work on board.
When life is serving us with bad news or unfortunate events, it’s helpful to be able to access resources and remind ourselves of self-soothing strategies. We can think of it as our own personal toolbox, where we can gather techniques, skills, personal/meaningful items, and practices to turn to when we are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or low. We can think of it as preparing for bad days during the good ones!
It’s useful to keep our Mental Health Toolbox in a prominent place, so that when we feel overwhelmed by life stressors or emotions, we can easily access and use it to feel better.
How to create your own
- You can use any bag or box or other container (i.e., an old shoebox you do not need anymore, a delivery box nobody needs anymore in the vessel), personalise it and decorate it as you wish. For example, some people may want to paint it, create a collage with soothing imagery or write notes on it.
- Collect items that are meaningful to you, or you know that can be helpful and emotionally soothing if you are feeling distressed on board. For example, it can be a photo of loved ones, a book, a journal; anything that you would like or find helpful to cope with. If the items you’ve thought of cannot be put in the box due to not being materialised, being used daily, or not being available on board, you can include a reminder of them (i.e., if you love plants and flowers, you can add a photo or drawing of such).
- Collect items that are stimulating to your five senses – vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch. For example, you can collect photos of beautiful places or places you’d like to visit, voice notes and recordings of music or love messages from friends, sweets, snacks or treats you love, your favourite coffee or perfume, soft teddies or your favourite blanket. Using your senses to self-sooth, ground yourself and feel calmer is found to be very helpful when in distress.
- Create a go-to list of things to do – for example activities you enjoy, people you would like to see and talk to if things are muddy, songs that you’d like to listen to, shows that you’d like to watch.
- Gather items that require attention and concentration, such as puzzles, scramble, games, arts and crafts, or colouring books – get some ideas from activities available on board!
- Add a prompt for physical exercise, as movement can release endorphins in your brain and make you feel better. For example, you can add an item to represent your favourite sport, or something in relation to running, walking etc.
- Add activities that can help you make sense of your emotions – mental health prompts, journal notebook and pen, or cards with affirmations.
- Write a letter to yourself to keep in the toolbox and read when you are going through difficult times. The letter can include something comforting, inspiring, loving and caring. If you don’t want to write a letter to yourself, you could ask a loved one to write one for you.
- Include any prompts to digital tools that could act as coping mechanisms when you are feeling overwhelmed, such as meditation apps, calming sounds (i.e., white noise), mood tracking.
- Identify emergency contacts – write the names of supportive friends, family members and/or professionals you could reach out in times of need.
Need to Support your Crew? Connect with OneCare Group
While a personal toolbox is a powerful step for Seafarers, OneCare Group offers comprehensive mental health support, to companies that want to safeguard their crews’ wellbeing. OneCare Group understands the specific needs of seafarers and offers dedicated resources to bridge the gap between life at sea and professional care. From remote counselling to tailored wellness programmes, OneCare Group is committed to ensuring seafarers have access to the support they deserve.
To learn more about how OneCare Group can provide additional support and resources for your crew’s mental well-being at sea, contact us through email at [email protected] or though the website here. Their well-being is our priority, helping your company navigate every journey with a stronger, more resilient crew.
References
Sokmen, Y. C., & Watters, A. (2016). Emotion Regulation with Mindful Arts Activities Using a Personalized Self-Soothing Kit. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 32(4), 345–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/0164212X.2016.1165642
Jenkins, A., Guttridge, L., & Kapoor, A. (2024). Evaluating the effectiveness of personalised self-soothe boxes on distress levels in an acute adult inpatient mental health setting. Abuse: An International Impact Journal, 5(2), 52–67. https://doi.org/10.37576/abuse.2024.061
Linehan, M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (Second edition). The Guilford Press.
