Tackling Mental Health in the Trades – Your Q&A Guide

Answers provided by: Dr Luke Martin, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Spokesperson, Beyond Blue

Tradies

I’m struggling but finding it hard to tell people. What should I do?

A lot of people feel the same way when they’re struggling. You might be worried others will think less of you or will treat you differently. But usually people are pretty understanding, and when you open up you can feel a sense of relief. The chaos that you were holding inside feels a little more ordered and manageable when you get it out. The trick is to choose who you tell carefully. Find the right person who you trust, and who is likely to be understanding. This might be your oldest mate, a family member, a boss, or a workmate who has spoken about their mental health openly before. If you can’t think of anyone, give Beyond Blue a call.

Prepare what you’ll say ahead of time to help you articulate what you’re experiencing and how it’s impacting you. Be honest and don’t downplay how you’re feeling. They’re best placed to support you if they know what’s really going on for you. Don’t be afraid to say specifically what would be helpful at the moment. Maybe you need practical help, ideas for professionals to see, or just someone to listen. Mental health struggles are hard to get through on your own. It helps to talk and share the load. Having a chat to someone is the first step to getting better so it’s worth taking it.

I’m off work for a physical injury but it’s effecting my mental health. What should I do?

It’s very natural to feel frustrated or down when you’re off work with an injury. A stint at home doing rehab can stop you from doing the things that help keep your mood up. Without a sense of purpose to your day, you can easily start feeling down on yourself too. As much you’re able to, stay connected with your mates and family for support. Ensure you have a structure to your day that includes doing at least one or two activities that keeps your mind active and helps you feel like you’re still achieving. Check and challenge your thinking if you’re becoming overly pessimistic or catastrophic, including if you’re being too hard on yourself. Remember that this is a tough phase that will eventually pass. Consider speaking with a mental health professional to learn some new coping strategies, and especially if your mood is spiralling down. You don’t need to wait until things become really bad before you reach out for support.

I’m off work and struggling with money and it’s effecting my mental health. What should I do?

Money problems really do play on the mind. Money and mental health are two sides of the same coin, each influences the other. The worse your financial situation gets, the greater the impact on your mental health which then makes it harder to get on top of your finances and so on. It’s a very stressful cycle. It helps to take proactive steps to manage both. Start by understanding your financial situation using some of the tools on ASIC’s Money Smart website. If you have debts that you’re struggling to manage, seek advice from a financial counsellor at the National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007. Consider speaking with a mental health professional to help manage the emotional impacts of your situation too.

Ultimately, don’t go it alone. Talk to trusted friends or family about your situation —they can provide support and help you explore your options for getting back on track. Know that you’re not alone, so many people are struggling financially during the current cost-of-living crisis.

What are some mental health strategies I can try for myself?

It’s great to have your own toolbox of mental health strategies. Different situations require different tools. Your everyday tools are staying physically active, eating well, getting enough sleep and staying connected with mates and family. Other tools you might use regularly to stay on top of stress are breathing exercises, like inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds and repeat for 2 minutes. Learning mindfulness meditation from a free app like Smiling Mind can help too. If you’re in a rut, you can break the cycle by setting some goals and making sure there’s at least one thing you do every day that you enjoy, and one thing that gives you a feeling of achievement. Start small and take action even when you don’t feel like it – positive feelings will catch up eventually. If you find your self-help strategies aren’t doing the job, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional for more support.

Employers

How can a building site support tradie mental health?

The relationship a manager builds with each tradie is one of the strongest influences on their mental health at work. Keeping it positive and supportive through open communication can really make a difference. Moments of conflict, especially when under stress, are sometimes unavoidable but the research shows it’s how you repair the relationship after conflict that matters most.

Another big influence a worksite can have on their tradie’s mental health is by creating good working conditions. Ensuring workload demands are reasonable and they have clarity over what’s expected of them in their role and some influence over how they perform their work, that they feel supported and treated respectfully, they’re recognised and rewarded for doing a good job and it’s a safe worksite. These are all things that have a massive positive impact on a tradie’s mental health.

Providing training for supervisors and workers on recognising the signs of mental health concerns and how to support colleagues is important, as well as regularly promoting mental health resources and support services.

These kinds of measures can help you create a productive and mentally healthy worksite.

We are noticing a lot of staff taking unexplained leave.  How can we create a work environment where staff feel comfortable to share their mental health concerns?

The main thing is to create psychological safety in the worksite where people feel they can be themselves and share their thoughts without being criticised or judged. Banter can help bond a team but try to catch it when it gets personal or goes into sensitive areas that people care about. This can help create an environment where people are more likely to open up about serious things like their mental health. It can also help to lead by example and show some vulnerability yourself. Sharing some of your experiences of managing stress and challenges over your career. Inviting in mental health speakers to share their story can also help and show that this is a place where we care about mental health and are willing to have the conversation. It also helps to promote mental health information and support to staff so they know what’s available and also demonstrates that mental health is front of mind for worksite leaders too. 

I’ve noticed one of my employees hasn’t been themselves lately.  What should I do?

It’s best to have a chat with them in a private space, away from the rest of the team. In a caring way, let them know you’ve noticed they haven’t been themselves lately and ask if everything is OK. It can help to point out some of the specific things you’ve noticed lately about changes in their behaviour. Then it’s about listening to what’s going on without judgement, and helping them explore their options. If mental health is the concern, encourage them to seek help from a GP or Beyond Blue. Ask if there’s any adjustments at work that could be made to make things easier at the moment. Be sure to check back in another day to show you genuinely care and are there to support them. It’s really important this isn’t a one-off ‘caring conversation’ but part of the normal way of interacting with and caring about your team.

What programs and support are available for tradie mental health?

There are a number of programs and supports available in Australia to assist tradies with their mental health:

Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) is a suicide prevention charity that organizes events to raise awareness about mental health among tradies. They connect tradies with local and national support services and encourage open conversations about mental health

This Is A Conversation Starter (TIACS) provides free, confidential phone and text counselling services tailored for the blue-collar community. This service aims to make mental health support easily accessible and to eliminate barriers like cost and stigma.

Mates in Construction offers support to workers in the construction industry by providing training and resources to recognise and respond to mental health issues. Their initiatives include mental health awareness workshops and on-site support services.

Beyond Blue offers extensive resources and support services that tradies can access, including 24/7 helplines, online chat services, and information on coping with mental health challenges.