Trucking provides a steady income and offers great benefits, but it is challenging. Balancing family life and trucking can be difficult because of the time spent away from home. It is also common that truck drivers fall into different eating and sleeping habits which can affect their mental and physical health.
Mental health
Mental health is generally a new concept, while many have been suffering for years, especially men. One main reason why people do not speak out is because of the fear of losing their job. As mental health becomes more and more understood, it opens the doors for everyone to speak about how they are feeling.
People are silent sufferers, and sometimes it can be hard to spot. Depression in truck drivers is real and nobody should feel ashamed for how they feel. Here are five common reasons why truckers face depression.
- Lonely: truckers spend hours and days alone while over the road driving
- Financial situation: not being able to support their families can be a huge weight they carry on their shoulders
- Lack of sleep
- Consuming unhealthy foods and drinks
- The pressure to perform well on the job.
The best trucking companies, like TransWood, encourages drivers to speak out and educates their drivers on how to combat these issues.
For drivers who feel alone, the best trucking companies recommend they stay connected with loved ones while on the road. Technology is part of our everyday lives which makes seeing loved ones easier.
It is also recommended that drivers have a routine to balance their work life. Having a regular time to talk to loved ones can give you something to look forward to each day. Remember self-care is very important. This looks different for everyone, but making time for yourself helps your mind reset and feel refreshed. Options for self-care are, taking a day or two to do your favorite activities or adding a regular walk to your routine can make all the difference.
Physical health
The best trucking companies, like TransWood, will tell you that your physical health and mental health go hand in hand. Having rigorous workouts is not necessary as a simple walk or stretches can do the trick.
What you eat can make all the difference, meal prepping can make a difference. Continuously eating fast food and drinking sugary drinks is not good for anyone. Here are meal ideas that won’t take long to cook, and if it does, it’s cooking in your sleep!
As a truck driver, you are responsible to stay alert for eight or more hours a day, it is important that you sleep a minimum of seven hours a night. Lack of sleep results in driver fatigue making you less alert while on the road. It can also make you feel too tired to walk around or do any exercise.
Tips for mental and physical health
Your mental and physical health are closely related and can both make a large impact on you. The first tip is to seek help, it may be hard to speak out but it will make all the difference in how you are feeling.
The second tip is to set aside time to do something you enjoy. This can be a short amount of time, like 10 minutes drawing, taking pictures or whatever your hobby is!
The third tip is to get out and enjoy the sun! Spend time outdoors, it can help boost your mood.
TransWood is committed to protecting the health, safety and security of our employees and independent contractors while minimizing the impact of our operations on the public and the environment where we operate. Please, contact TransWood so we can start serving your hauling freight needs.
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