Plumbers and other skilled workers seem to be among the employees more likely to suffer poor mental health. Many factors affect this, beginning with how these jobs often come with higher risks while potentially not being compensated enough.
The plumbing industry, among other skilled sectors, is essentially male-dominated. There’s that undeniable stigma surrounding mental health in men, access to dangerous tools and chemicals, and lack of job security. These are only very few reasons to prove how pressing it is to address plumbers’ mental health and to recognize that this is a real problem.
Therefore, it is important to spread mental health awareness and prevent more skilled workers from facing the challenges of poor mental health. This article presents five tips for a more positive outlook mentally, emotionally, and psychologically.
- Join Or Organize Fundraisers
Fundraisers are events worth joining, not just because of the causes they support but also because it creates that feeling of fulfillment. By joining these events, you’ll feel like you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life. When you think you haven’t done much for your society, that fundraiser maybe that big boost of confidence you needed.
Moreover, there are many different causes you can choose to support with a fundraiser, one of which is mental health. A good one, for example what the team at Fergusons are doing here is by taking part in a cause that encourages their skilled workers to check on their workmates constantly. The more public attention these problems get, the higher the likelihood that help and support can be given to those who need it, much like yourself.
- Connect With Other People
Unlike those who work in an office setting, connecting with other people may be a sparse opportunity for plumbers. They work on their schedule, often not reporting to a physical office unless called for or needed. Apart from their own families, plumbers may have a limited social connection with their peers.
To prevent their mental health from spiraling down, emphasize the importance of connecting with others. Surely, there are other plumbers whom you know of. When you take a break from work, use that time to have a beer or two. Or you can also make friendly conversations with your clients. This will help expand your social connections.
- Stay Active
Staying active is as good for one’s mental health as it is for your physical condition. Plumbers often have busy and in-demand schedules, moving from one household to the next, leaving them no time to spare for exercise. At the end of the day, they have no other feelings beyond exhaustion, reducing their likelihood of engaging in any physical activity.
This cycle, however, is dangerous for one’s overall health. No matter how busy your day is, always leave time for physical activity. You only need half an hour for this. Make that a part of your schedule, and soon, you may notice a big difference in how much better you feel both physically and mentally.
- Eat Healthy Meals And Stay Hydrated
This tip is in connection with the third tip above. The busy lifestyle of plumbers and other skilled workers can also lead to situations where grabbing fast food is more convenient than preparing healthy meals. This may be true, but your lifestyle doesn’t always have to be that way. Even if it means waking up half an hour or an hour earlier than usual to give yourself time to whip healthy meals, it’s a practice you’ll get used to and appreciate in the long run.
You are what you eat. So, if you feed your body junk food consistently, it can adversely impact your physical and, eventually, your mental health.
Alongside food, the body also needs proper hydration. Bring yourself a bottle of water to work so that no matter how busy the day gets, you have water to sip whenever needed.
Having a balanced diet and meeting the daily fluid requirement can improve your energy and focus for the day. This means you’ll have enough energy to stay positive and happy, no matter how physically exhausting your schedule is.
- Talk To Someone You Trust
Connecting with others doesn’t necessarily mean letting your heart out to everyone you meet. Those are two different things. Connecting with others means satisfying your need for social interaction. Meanwhile, talking to someone you trust involves choosing someone you can easily open up and share anything with.
This tip is very important for plumbers, given how generally, men don’t like to talk as much as women do. They’d rather keep things to themselves, with the stigma surrounding men that they have to be ‘tough and strong’ and not overly sensitive.
Improving your mental health means breaking away from that stigma. It doesn’t make anyone less strong or tough when you admit you have a problem and open up to someone. Doing so can help take a lot of weight off your chest with the new-found support you can now gain from that trusted friend or colleague.
The Bottomline
Hopefully, with the tips explained above, you are now more aware of how to take care of your mental health, even at work. This pursuit combines big and small changes, each of which can make a significant difference in improving your mental health. Happier plumbers don’t just mean they perform better at their job but also feel holistically fulfilled.
