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occasion, rather being anywhere else.
There’s also the chasing of payments.
Financial stress has a big impact on
psychological wellbeing.
And then there’s self doubt. Regardless of the
impression you give outwardly, a number of
people will be racked with thoughts of ‘did I do
that right?’, ‘Is it just me who’s not getting
paid?’, ‘Why didn’t I win that job.’
It’s perfectly normal.
Outside of the small business ownership
stresses, tradies, by their very nature, are
particularly at risk.
“We know that many male-dominated
industries see elevated rates of common mental
health disorders compared to other industries
and the population more generally,” says Dr
Mark Deady from the Workplace Mental Health
Research Program at the Black Dog Institute.
“This includes trades such as electricians.
The reasons for this are complex but likely
reflect the interplay between workplace-related
factors (high stress, limited work flexibility,
irregular workloads) and the sociodemographic
features of the workers themselves, including
lower rates of seeking help in contributing to
these elevated rates.”
THE WARNING SIGN: CHANGE
They say a change is as good as a holiday – but
not when it comes to mental health. So, be
aware of, and watch out for, any changes in your
mood, exercise, diet and sleep.
“It’s really important that people are aware of
these things,” says Snare. “I call them our
natural MEDS (mood, exercise, diet, sleep).
“Because changes in some or all of these will
suggest that stress levels are building, very often
you’re not aware of it. So if you spot these
changes, that’s the time to take action.
“Being unusually cranky is a really noticeable
one; snapping at people for no apparent reason,
just not being yourself. This is often the thing
that really stands out for people, often the thing
they really notice.”
Dr Deady says, “It can be useful to monitor
what’s going on for us on a daily basis, what we
experience in specific situations and what our
triggers of stress, anxiety or low mood are.
“This is something we don’t always naturally
do. We can let things build to a point where
they are simply overwhelming, and it becomes
a much bigger job.
“It’s important that, as individuals, we
critically assess what brings feelings of
positivity and joy to our lives and make sure we
are engaging with those things, whether they be
social relationships, fitness, creativity etc.
socialisation and consequent loneliness has a
more profound effect on people’s wellbeing
than many other of the traditional risk factors.”
So get out on the boat for that regular fishing
trip, play a round of golf or go to the footy. It’s
officially beneficial.
AND YOUR FAMILY
R U OK? DAY
Thursday 12 September 2019 is
R U OK? Day. If you’ve not made mental
health a priority before, use this as an
excuse. Visit ruok.org.au for resources
and to get involved.
“I also believe that in the high pressure and
fast-moving modern world, especially that of
small business, it’s important to make time to
be present, without being pulled in all sorts of
directions by what’s happened or what is about
to happen. Mindfulness is a really useful tool.”
Of course, sometimes there is a perfectly
rational explanation. A new baby, for example,
will probably affect mood, exercise, diet and
sleep for a short while. The death of a friend of
family member will, too.
It’s when it’s not really attributable to any
one thing, or becomes an ongoing problem, that
you need to act.
“This is what I call ‘over the shoulder stress’,”
says Snare. “It’s stress that builds up without
you really being aware of it. It then builds up
and, out of the blue or for no obvious reason,
you can lose it.”
So, how do you keep stress levels down
before it develops into a condition such as
depression or anxiety?
GO OUT WITH YOUR MATES
Yep, that’s right. You officially have
permission – if you need it! Getting
out and socialising is officially
needed to keep stress levels down.
“Sparkies are often very time
poor,” says Snare. “And the thing
you’ll often be sacrificing is your
social activities.
“Socialisation is really, really
important in the mental health
space, and increasingly it’s coming
out in research that lack of
It’s a classic Catch-22. You start your own
business to spend more time with your family,
but you end up having less time with your
family because you have to do the ‘off the tools’
jobs when you’re at home.
“Family time is really, really crucial,” says
Snare. “It’s very easy for people who are trying
to get ahead, work wise and financially, to see
work as the critically important thing. But I
think we’ve got to sort of step back a little bit,
especially if you have young children.
“If you don’t spend good, quality time with
your children when they’re young, you’re not
going to have the same relationship with them
once they grow up, and as you become older.”
BYO FOOD
While the ‘tradie-sat-in-van-eating-a pie’
scenario is a cliche, it’s also – on occasion
– pretty accurate.
“Because electricians start work so early, you
often don’t have a healthy breakfast before you
leave home,” says Snare. “Then, if you’re out on
a job, travelling all over the place, you don’t
know where you’re going to be.
“It’s easier to go to the bakery or the local
shop and buy fast food rather than have healthy
foods. But keeping your body fuelled with the
right kind of nutrition is really important.”
It’s time to start packing your sangers again.
LEARN THE ART OF DELEGATION
If you’re working six or seven days a week and/
or 50-plus hours a week, it’s time to delegate.
It’s not sustainable, and you’re not doing
yourself any favours. So seek some assistance.
“Look at what you can delegate,” says Snare.
“Employing a bookkeeper, for example, could
mean an extra day or two with
your friends or your kids each
month.”
LACE UP THE RUNNERS
Another thing that proved
to be crucial for health and
wellbeing is exercise, and
tradies can often fall into the
trap of thinking because they’re
active all day they don’t need to
exercise. Wrong. 3
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