Mental health is something we all carry with us, whether we’re on land or out at sea. For those spending long stretches away from home, like seafarers, maintaining mental wellness can be a unique challenge. But here’s the good news: raising awareness about mental health and using practical mental wellness tools can make a real difference. I want to share some simple, effective ways you can help yourself and others understand and support mental well-being better. Using Mental Wellness Tools to...

It always seems to land at the worst time. A message during watch. A missed call when your hands are busy. Or that one sentence that makes your stomach drop: “Call me when you can.” For seafarers, bad news from home hits differently. You’re far away. Time zones are against you. Privacy is limited. And the hardest part is knowing you can’t just jump in a car and be there. In that moment, the mind does what it was designed to do: it tries to take back control. It starts hunting for details,...

You’re on board, it’s late, and you can’t sleep. You don’t want to worry your family. You don’t want to “make a big deal” onboard. So you open an AI chatbot and type: “I feel stressed. What’s wrong with me?” This is becoming a real trend—and psychologists in the maritime space are already warning about the risks of using AI as mental health support, especially when someone is vulnerable. AI can be useful in small, practical ways . But it can also be unsafe if you use it like a therapist, or...