Mental health on board isn’t just about avoiding breakdowns, it’s about building habits that help you stay steady, focused, and well. Because let’s face it: yacht life is intense. You live at work. Your “desk” is also your bunk. And your co-workers? You share a bathroom with them.

So how do you stay mentally steady when you’re running on six hours’ sleep, surrounded by high expectations, no privacy, and a fridge full of Red Bulls?

You check in. You build a routine. And you treat your mind like your job depends on it, because honestly, it does.

You might be able to chamois a sundeck in 42-degree heat or plate 12 meals in a rolling galley - but your brain needs more than adrenaline and duty rosters.

Mental health is like maintenance: ignore it, and things start falling apart.

We’re not talking about 3-hour meditation sessions on the bow (unless that’s your thing). This is about small, practical habits you can actually do, even during the madness of a back-to-back charter season.

Try these:

 Ask yourself:
🔹 How am I feeling physically?
🔹 How am I feeling emotionally?
🔹 What do I need today? 

Even just naming what’s going on can keep stress from boiling over.

Pro tip: Do it when brushing your teeth or during a quick coffee break. No journal necessary. Just awareness.

We’re not talking gym selfies or HIIT workouts on the sundeck. Just… move. Your body holds stress, and movement helps release it.

🔹 Quick stretch session in your cabin
🔹 Ten-minute walk around the deck (guest permitting)
🔹 Dance like an idiot while folding laundry (it counts) 

You need rest - not overstimulation. If you’re spending your break watching TikToks of everyone else's perfect life, you're not recharging - you're spiralling. Try:

🔹 Reading (a book, not crew WhatsApp drama)
🔹 Podcasts
🔹 Actual silence (yes, that’s still a thing) 

Your crew are great (most of the time), but you need outside perspective. Voice notes to mates, regular chats with family, or even a therapist back home via app. 

Sometimes you need to say “I’m struggling” to someone who won’t just respond with, “Same. Also, we’re out of blue roll.”

You don’t need hours. You need intentionality.
 
🔹 Sip a coffee in silence for two minutes
🔹 Sit on the bow before shift and breathe
🔹 Watch the sunset alone when you can
🔹 Close your eyes and focus on three sounds around you 

Tiny resets. Big impact.

Whether you’re scribbling down goals or rage-writing about the stew who stole your shower slot, journaling can help process emotions before they boil over.

You don’t need to be poetic. Just be real.

Mental health can deteriorate quietly, especially in high-performance, “smile through it” environments. Watch for:

🔹 Sleep issues (too much or too little)
🔹 Constant irritability
🔹 Loss of appetite or binge eating
🔹 Withdrawing from the crew entirely
🔹 Crying spells or numbness
🔹 Dreading each day, even on turnaround 

If that’s you: say something. To a friend, your Head of Department, or a crew welfare contact. This isn’t weakness, it’s strength in action.

“I do a 10-minute meditation with headphones in the laundry room. It’s the only place no one talks to me.” -  Stewardess, 25, three seasons in

“The chef told me once, ‘You can’t pour from an empty pot.’ That hit me harder than any galley plate ever did.” -  Deckhand, 22

“The first mate and I do silent coffee mornings together. No talking, no phones. Just two zombified humans and caffeine. It helps.” -  Engineer, 28

“After a brutal season, I took two weeks off completely offline. Came back feeling like a human again.” -  Chief Stew, 33

Mental health isn’t a luxury - it’s part of your job, just like safety drills or washdowns. You wouldn’t run the engine with silenced alarms and expect it to last a season. Don’t do it to your brain either.

Check in. Reset. Repeat.

1. Breathe Like You Mean It
Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat twice. It tricks your nervous system into calming the hell down.

2. Drop Your Shoulders
You’re probably wearing them as earrings right now. Relax your jaw too while you’re at it.

3. Do a 5-Second Body Scan
From toes to head: where are you holding tension? Unclench. Yes, there too.

4. Name the Feeling
Stress? Rage? Overwhelm? Giving it a name helps stop it running the show.

5. Find One Neutral Thing Around You
A sound, a colour, a texture. It grounds you when your brain’s running at 100 knots.

6. Say a Calm-Down Phrase
Try: “I’m safe. I’ve got this. One thing at a time.” Or whatever your inner hype voice needs to hear.

7. Drink Water
Not coffee. Not Monster. Actual water. Your brain’s dehydrated and slightly feral.

  ✨ For more no-nonsense tips and honest advice at every stage of your yachting journey, check out Superyacht Life: How to Start, Succeed, & Stay Sane by Erica Lay - available 1st October on Amazon.