Construction work is physically and mentally demanding and sometimes comes with risks to personal safety. Long hours, physical exhaustion, and high-risk environments create fatigue that can add up over time. The prevailing tough guy mentality among male workers also means tackling mental health challenges within the building and construction industry can be challenging. It is […]
Construction work is physically and mentally demanding and sometimes comes with risks to personal safety. Long hours, physical exhaustion, and high-risk environments create fatigue that can add up over time.
The prevailing tough guy mentality among male workers also means tackling mental health challenges within the building and construction industry can be challenging.
It is not uncommon for an individual to need support at some point in their life, and they may even require continued support depending on the person and their challenges.
For co-workers, managers, and HR, it is important to consistently be inclusive and supportive of colleagues or employees struggling and going through a tough time.
Good mental fitness can mean better engagement, reduced days off, and higher productivity, and there are tools and resources available to help ensure that.
The Mental Health Foundation has a range of free resources to support workplaces at individual, team and workplace levels. They approach with a focus on creating a psychologically safe, supportive and strong environment, and most importantly, people.
Engaging activities and useful, research-based information support the development of knowledge of mental health in the workplace and the identification of possibilities to safeguard and improve mental fitness, as well as the adoption of positive action within the workplace.
Good mental health can reduce workplace accidents and improve productivity and job satisfaction. Site managers and foremen should lead by example and talk openly about mental health. We should also create peer support systems where team members regularly check on each other’s wellbeing.
When it comes to men’s mental health, as much as we do not want to admit it, there is still a large stigma around speaking out, especially in the construction industry. We must redefine what toughness means in construction—physical and emotional resilience.
According to Umbrella, research suggests that the masculine belief that is the most harmful to men’s mental health is that men need to be “tough” or “strong” and that speaking about hardships and struggles in life is considered “weak”.
There are numerous ways to tackle this outdated stigma, such as:
1. Think about what qualities you believe are the most important for a man to show, and do that.
2. Talk openly about your mental health, especially to those younger than you.
3. Encourage reaching out to others (because it does really help).
There are more avenues to being the stereotypical masculine that does not include ignoring our mental health. All of us (HR, managers, bosses, and co-workers) have a part to play in promoting the idea that it is okay to talk about mental health and want to improve each other or our mental fitness.
Not only is it important, it is crucial.
Check out these resources:
Anxiety New Zealand – 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757
Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline) for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland.
Need to Talk? – Call or text 1737
Rural Support Trust – 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP).
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Shakti Community Council – 0800 742 584
Shine (domestic violence) – 0508 744 633
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Supporting Families in Mental Illness – 0800 732 825
thelowdown.co.nz – email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626
What’s Up – 0800 WHATS UP (0800 942 8787)
Women’s Refuge – 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
Youthline – 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
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