Mental health issues have an impact on all HGV drivers, along with co-workers, relatives, and friends. Ultimately, the mental health of a driver can also affect other people on the roads. More than 40% of drivers have admitted that they have feelings of mental distress or anxiety while they are driving, and an astounding 30% have also admitted to having near misses when they felt anxious behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, many drivers ignore or brush off their symptoms, which could cause their condition to become worse until it has reached a crisis stage. HGV drivers are often criticized when it comes to their diet and physical lifestyle, but the mental health of these people is just as important. If you are struggling with mental health issues, you should get help as soon as you can so that you can start to recover.

Ignoring your problems will only start making things a lot worse for yourself. The first step involved in obtaining treatment is to realize you are facing a problem and then admit this to others and yourself.

The next step involves telling someone that you can trust. This could be your doctor, a friend, or even your spouse. It may feel like a challenge or frightening to talk to someone, but it’s one of the crucial steps when it comes to rehabilitation. No one should feel ashamed to discuss how they are feeling and anything that may be bothering them mentally.

You may want to consider consulting with your employer or a manager. They might have already noticed changes in you. You will usually find that most employers will take this seriously and will want to assist you.

Top Tips To Maintain Good Mental Health In HGV Drivers

Stay Active

Setting aside time to engage in physical activities might be difficult, and this is even more true for drivers that are on the roads for long hours at a time. However, it is essential for HGV drivers to keep active, especially those that spend most of the hours that they work sitting in one position behind a steering wheel. Think about making a few small changes to your routine by adding exercise after or before your shift.

Find Things To Laugh About

Drivers need to find time in their day to focus on things that make them feel happy since this type of job can become lonely, especially when you are spending time away from your home or family.

Get A Good Night’s Rest

Getting enough sleep is something you should never underestimate, especially when it comes to maintaining good mental health. If you are waking up before you have a chance to fully recover, small annoyances can quickly increase into more major problems.

HGV drivers also require the highest levels of concentration, which means you should be facing the demands of driving for many hours with a level and clear head. Also, you have to be aware of how many points to lose an HGV license and protect it.

Maintain A Clean Driving Space

Most drivers feel a lot better if their working space (behind the wheel of HGV) is tidy and clean, similar to how office workers also feel more confident and productive to take on the day when they have a neat and tidy desk. Since you will be spending many hours in your cab, you want to avoid any clutter which can cause unnecessary distractions.

Speak Up And Share How You Are Feeling With Others

Keeping things to yourself is a recipe for disaster, and when you can’t talk about how you are feeling this can lead to anxiety, depression, or major stress. Rather than trying to deal with your thoughts alone, talk to someone that you can trust about the way you are feeling.

Since drivers often spend many hours on their own every day, it is crucial that they find ways to communicate and not allow any negative thoughts or feelings to start building up.

Prepare Your Own Meals And Eat Healthily

Junk food may be tempting when you are out on the roads, but eating like this all the time is detrimental when it comes to both your physical and mental health.

Sugary treats may provide short bursts of energy, yet can make you crash mentally afterward, while carbohydrate and high-fat foods can affect your mental capacity and energy. These foods are also harder for the body to properly digest.

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