If you were asked to create a difficult work environment from scratch, you’d probably come up with one that included long days, irregular hours, unpredictable requests, an endless to-do list that is constantly changing, multiple taskmasters, last-second updates, lack of respect, confined working spaces, heat, exhaustion, constant noise, limited privacy, isolation and months spent away from friends and family. In fact, you could come up with a superyacht.

Small wonder that mental health among crew has become a topic of discussion. Yet that discussion hasn’t always led to industrywide action. That makes it all the more important that you are able to look after your own mental health, rather than relying on the yacht owner or management company to do anything to help you.

Understanding the unique mental health needs of superyacht crew

Let’s be honest. Working on board a superyacht isn’t like most shore-based jobs. There are, of course, jobs ashore that place similar demands on employees. Just ask any nurse in a hospital. But most jobs aren’t like that. Most shore-based jobs (should) look like something this:

• 7 or 8 working hours per day, usually set somewhere between 8AM and 6PM, during a 4- or 5-day working week, capped by a minimum 2-day weekend break away from the job, the customers/clients, your colleagues and manager/boss
• The ability to leave the workplace during lunchtime and at the end of the working day
• The ability to disconnect completely from the workplace at the end of the day
• A structured flow of objectives and deadlines, with a single point of input into your diary, rather than an endlessly pinging WhatsApp group that was intended to co-ordinate shore trips and has now become an instant margarita ordering service that will find you wherever you are.

In other words, there is separation between you and the working environment, which is itself usually less chaotic and pressured than on board a superyacht.

And most importantly: shore-dwellers get to escape the madness of work and go to a comforting place called home on a daily basis.

You don’t.

So you need to be made of some tough stuff to cope.

And you need to keep an eye on yourself, so that you recognise the signs of wear and tear on your mental health.

Identifying Early Signs of Burnout and Mental Health Strain

A disclaimer first: we’re not medical professionals. What we’re about to say here is no more than a rough, common-sense guide. It’s not intended as medical advice in any way.
Second point: you are incredibly important. Your mental health is the bedrock upon which your entire life is built. Protect it as if your life depended on it — because it does.

If you recognise any of what follows, take a moment to check in with yourself. The list below isn’t a cast iron guarantee that you are suffering from mental stress. Rather, it is an indication that you could be. So if you do see yourself in many of the things listed below, don’t panic, but make sure you don’t dismiss it either. Don’t be afraid to speak up and seek advice or help. And if you see this behaviour in a colleague, speak to them gently to find out if they are all right.

• Fretting over everyday things or being overly worried about things, particularly things that haven’t bothered you in the past.
• Problems with sudden schedule changes or shifting situations, especially when you easily dealt with them before.
• Avoiding and withdrawing from your colleagues and responsibilities. This can also manifest itself in slack timekeeping and sloppy work.
• Mood swings. Not just sudden anger or irritability, but also things like apathy towards your work and colleagues.
• Problems sleeping.
• Problems concentrating.
• Loss of appetite.
• Feelings of low esteem.
• Resenting the guests on board.

While you might be able to attribute any of the above to something other than mental health strain, the next two items require immediate attention. Please don’t ignore them:

• Substance abuse. This is often a coping mechanism, and a harmful one at that. Not only can it easily get out of hand, it is a clear signal that something is wrong.
• Self- harm.

Effective stress management techniques on board

Stress is a significant contributor to mental health problems. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep on top of your stress levels. They fall into two groups: preventative measures and reactive measures.

Reactive measures are things you can do instantly when you recognise your stress levels are rising. However, right there is the gotcha: you need to be able to intervene. You’ve probably been told at some point in your life to count to ten before doing anything when you feel yourself becoming angry. Yet isn’t it so much easier just to give into the anger and let rip?

The same goes for rising stress levels. Intervening when you sense things are going wrong is sometimes more easily said than done. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions:

• Stop. Take a step back (literally). Pause. Even if it’s just for a moment. Take a deep breath in and release it slowly. Often that’s enough to reduce the tension in your body and mind, allowing you to refocus with renewed energy.
• Change your location. Maybe step outside for a minute. Or move to the other side of the boat. Or even just turn the way you are facing. A different visual input will refresh your mind, allowing a quick reset.
• A builder once told us this tip: close your eyes and stand facing the sun for a moment. Just bask in its rays for a while.
• Reframe your situation. Stress often comes from highlighting the negative in a situation. Reframing it in a positive sentence can help take the sting out of it. Reframing can also give you a sense of control, which in itself can help reduce stress.

These are all short-term, quick fixes. And they won’t always help. Although a deep breath is nearly always very powerful.

And that’s why building a couple of timeslots into your day to focus on your breathing is a good idea. Rather than using breathing as something reactive, make it part of your routine. Doing so will also allow you to do longer breathing exercises that will give you a longer-lasting benefit.

Closely connected to breathing exercises is meditation. Meditation helps you relax and calms your mind. One way to do so is to focus on your breathing. 

That said, concentrating on one thing in your mind isn’t easy. There is a lot of noise going on in there. But even just focusing on a single breath in and out is useful. And when your mind does wander, be aware of that and guide yourself back to concentrating solely on your breathing.

Another way to clear your mind and improve calm in your mind is to stretch. Going through a stretching routine will put your focus on the movements you are making, pushing other thoughts into the background.

Building resilience in a seafaring lifestyle

Maybe you’ve noticed a pattern in the advice we’ve given so far? One way or another it’s all about creating some distance between you and the boat. Sure, the distance is happening in your head, but it’s distance nonetheless. You’re creating a mental break from what’s stressing you.

There are other things you can do to enhance this sense of distance from work. Some are to do with creating a physical barrier, others are to do with transporting your mind off the boat completely, even when you can’t leave it physically.

Physical barriers are things like finding a private space for a few minutes, away from the demands of the guests and the boat. That can be harder or easier, depending on crew cabin arrangements and the size of the boat you’re on. At the very least, consider investing in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Bøse and Sony’s noise cancelling over-ear headsets are often quoted as being among the best — their top-tier models in particular. They can be a godsend on board a yacht, allowing you to cut out the noise of the yacht while you are off duty.

Transporting yourself off the yacht can be as simple as streaming a film on your tablet, listening to a podcast or audio book, or reading an actual book. 

Also good is being able to speak with friends and family back home. If you do so on the boat, you might not be able to speak freely, but it’ll still get your mind off the yacht and into your home environment, giving you a boost mentally. Even better if you’re able to do it while enjoying a few hours’ shore leave — itself a great way to spend some time separated from the boat.

By the way, writing down your frustrations is also an excellent way to reduce stress. But remember that it’s healthy to write about the good stuff too. Expressing gratitude for the good things in your life is very beneficial and builds a positive mindset. And taking time to write things down will also give you the headspace to reframe situations and things that are bothering you into more positive language. Like we said before, this will give you a sense of control.

Just make sure your writing is in a secure place. Paper notebooks are good, provided they can be locked away safely. An encrypted folder on your laptop or a document on a password protected device are both good ideas when writing. You want your private thoughts to stay just that — private.

Take care of the basics: diet and sleep

You probably just rolled your eyes at that subheading. We’re starting to sound like your parents. But making sure you are feeding your body what it needs (more water, less alcohol; more wholefoods, less processed food) is vital. Look at it this way: does a professional athlete eat junk food? Would you put self-distilled moonshine into the engine of a Ferrari? 

Also, you are what you eat and drink. Where do you think your body gets its replacement building blocks from? It can only function on what you give it. So if you’re giving it substandard materials, you’re going to end up with a substandard body, which in turn is going to function sub optimally and affect your mental health.

As for sleep, we could write an entire book. Fortunately, we don’t have to. Matthew Walker already did and it got a huge amount of attention when it was published a couple of years ago. Short version, if you neglect your sleep, you are storing up a whole raft of potential health problems.

Here’s the Amazon blurb about his book: “Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses.” 

In case you’re wondering, he’s the real deal. Walker’s work is backed up by science. It’s an eye opener. He’s also been a guest on many podcasts, if that’s your preferred way to get information. (By the way, other books on the benefits of sleep are available. This is just the one we read.)

Hit the brakes if you have to

The boat isn’t worth your mental health. If you realise your mental health is in jeopardy, take action. Don’t, whatever you do, ignore your situation and think you have to tough it out, or that acknowledging your state of mind is a sign of weakness. In fact, the opposite is true: doing something and speaking out is often a much braver thing to do. It is also the right thing to do. You have to protect yourself. And the boat has a duty of care to you as well.

Also look at it this way, if your mental health is under threat from life on the boat, that’s not a reflection on you. It’s a reflection of the life and culture on board or in yachting as a whole. Long-term, is this really a place you want to be? 

In the short-term, alert your manager or the captain to your situation. And highlight what you think could be done to help you. 

Don’t forget there are online resources to help you as well, including online counselling and advice. Have a look at services such as YachtCrewHelp by the International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN).

Decompression and mental self-care on leave

Your time away from the boat is an important period during which you can refresh your mental health. So it’s important that you are able to avoid any unnecessary stresses while you are on leave. There’s no point jumping out of the pressure cooker of the boat and into a turbulent spell ashore.

If you’re going on holiday, make sure it is exactly that, a holiday. Perhaps even one that actively encourages rest and improved mental health, like a yoga retreat.

If you’re returning home to a spouse, and possibly children, remember that they’ve been getting on with their lives in your absence. They’ll be overjoyed to see you back, but at the same time, it’s potentially destabilising for their daily routine to have you around again. Be conscious of that because it can add to tensions and therefore more stress.

And also be accepting that your spouse is the one who has been running the household while you were away, so don’t try to take over the reins when you return, unless asked to do so.

As your leave draws to an end, pay attention to one of the best indicators of your mental health: how do you feel after our rest? Are you excited about going back to work? If so, you’re in a good place.

But if you notice that the idea of going back to work makes you anxious, or you sense reluctance, then that’s an indication that your mental top up isn’t complete yet. It may even be an indication that you are burned out on superyacht work altogether. Either way, be extra vigilant of your mental health when you return on board.

You are fuel for the superyacht

In our opinion, superyacht crew don’t get nearly the recognition they deserve. Worse still, crew can be seen as disposable. The yacht consumes crew. While owners and management companies pay a lot of lip service to crew wellbeing, you have to wonder how serious they are. Of course, there are those who do care. But are they a majority or a minority…?

The bottom line is that your mental health is precious and the only person who you know who genuinely cares about it on board the superyacht is you. So it’s important you take control and take care of it.

The effort of keeping your mental health strong is nothing compared to the effort needed to mend it if it gets broken.