It has been estimated that around one in four HGV drivers suffer from a form of mental illness every year. Although this happens so often, many drivers will most likely keep these problems to themselves and not seek any help. Whilst the stigma of mental health being ‘signs of weakness’ has thankfully almost vanished nowadays, many drivers will still struggle to admit that they are experiencing any mental health issues at all, let alone actively requesting treatment.
A concerning statistic is that out of around 22% of employees that have been formally diagnosed with a mental illness, only half have them have informed their employer! This could lead to many complications within their job role and the employee could lose their job due to underperformance that has stemmed from their mental health issues. Their employer would be none the wiser. Communication is key.
A HGV Driver Should Prioritise Their Health
If HGV drivers are experiencing mental health issues, this will not only impact their own lives, the lives of their family, friends and other co-workers could be affected too. Over 40% of drivers have admitted to feeling anxiety or mental distress when at the wheel, with 30% admitting to a ‘near miss’ whilst experiencing anxiety. Drivers should prioritise their health as the more that they ignore the symptoms, the harder it gets and it will not be resolved until they reach a crisis point! It is vital that HGV drivers can identify and admit to themselves that they are experiencing mental health issues instead of ignoring them. This is the first step to getting help as living in denial within yourself will only ever end badly!
Once HGV drivers recognise that they have a problem, they should alert a loved one as well as their employer. As we mentioned earlier, an employer may be completely oblivious to the situation and so may just label a drop off in quality as ‘laziness’ or that a HGV driver is ‘unwilling’ when in reality this is not the truth.
How Can a HGV Driver Improve Their Mental Health
Although a lot of mental health issues can be very severe and simple activities will not immediately evaporate these issues, they can certainly help out. Here are a few ways that a HGV Driver can improve their mental health:
- Laughter, as simple as it may seem, having a laugh or joke with a work colleague or friend can give a huge boost to morale and can brighten an otherwise dark and lonely drive.
- Staying active, exercise can be hard to fit in when you are on the road all day and night. Yet between shifts, stretching out some muscles or a simple jog around the block can just release some tension that may occur when spending several hours cramped up in a HGV vehicle.
- One of the most important ways to improve your mental health is with good quality sleep. If you are waking up before your body has had the chance to recover then this can mess with your level of concentration throughout the day. If there’s one thing you need when driving a HGV vehicle, it is concentration.
Be Sure to Seek Advice For Your Mental Health
Being a HGV driver can be extremely tiring and stressful at times. You must be reaching out for help when you are starting to show clear signs of mental illness. At Pure Staff, we want anyone associated with our business recruitment to be healthy and in the right headspace. We have provided a few helpful links below if you are wanting to get some help or just looking for some words of encouragement.
Contact our Team of Recruitment Experts at Pure Staff
Think you have the qualities to become a HGV Driver? If so, get in touch with our team at Pure Staff to discuss your job-seeking needs for driving and many other career options.