Fly-in fly-out and drive-in drive-out practices are becoming an increasingly widespread feature of workforce provision in Australia and there is a growing level of concern about the impact of these arrangements on community, family and individual wellbeing.

R U OK? Afield resources are designed to support and promote meaningful conversations Afield and help colleagues be better mates when spending long hours away from family and friends.

What resources are available?

The emotional impact of being Afield at Christmas (2012)

What other R U OK? initiatives might I find useful?

If you’d like to access relevant resources throughout the year, take a look at R U OK? at Work.

If you have kids, you may be interested in R U OK? at School.

Where can I access more information?

If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Provider (EAP), get in contact with them to find out how your workplace can support you. If that’s not an option, make an appointment to see your doctor.

beyondblue, Black Dog Institute and Lifeline also have great resources you can access.

Also check out the Expert Support page for more suggestions on where to seek help and advice.

Afield at Christmas (Dec 2012)

18/12/2012

The Christmas and holiday season is often very demanding for families at the best of times.

Relationships are often stretched, emotions run high, and what should be a happy, joyous time of the year often ends up being just the opposite. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether you or a loved one is away at a mine site, off shore on a rig, interstate driving long distance or perhaps overseas on active duty, here are a few handy tips and strategies that can ease the pressure.

It is particularly challenging for people who work afield, especially if someone will be working away from home during the festive season, or maybe they are returning home from a period of being away. Relationships are often stretched, emotions run high, and what should be a happy, joyous time of the year can end up being just the opposite. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Returning home after a long time working away, or leaving home to work away at Christmas?

Whether you or a loved one is away at a mine site, off shore on a rig, interstate driving long distance or perhaps overseas on active duty, or returning home after a long absence away from home, here are a few handy tips and strategies that can ease the pressure.

Manage expectations

We tend to get upset when our expectations are let down, so be very careful about what expectations you are communicating with your family. You may be unintentionally setting yourself/or others up for disappointment, this is especially important for children. Be honest with yourself and others and don’t promise anything if you know you can’t deliver on it.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

There are so many ways to keep in touch, such as telephone, email, SMS, instant messaging, Skype, etc.

During busy times it is often hard to find the time to make that call, so plan ahead and allocate sufficient time.
If you can’t speak in person, maybe make a short video message and send it or leave notes in strategic places that will provide a nice surprise when someone finds them.
Children especially love messages that they can watch or read it over and over again.

Don’t overcommit

In the week leading up to Christmas we often run around like crazy trying to fit everything in to our already hectic schedule. This is called overloading our mental 'shopping trolley'. If your shopping trolley is already full, you can’t put more things into it without something falling out. A good example of this is trying to attend every party that you are invited to.

This is unrealistic, so carefully choose which you can attend and politely decline those you simply can’t make.
People are usually very understanding, after all, they’re doing the same thing!

Keep it simple

You don’t have to do everything yourself.

Identify activities/chores that you could get someone else to do. It may be the cleaning, the gardening, preparing the meal, etc.
Ask yourself what is the best use of your time. Is it spending quality time with your family, or doing things that others could do.
We know you are more than capable of doing it yourself and many of these things cost money. But what about the price you pay if you do everything yourself?
Maybe consider going out to a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner or getting take away delivered instead slaving away yourself for hours in the kitchen.

Be Enthusiastic

When you reunite, make it clear to your partner/family how excited you are to see them again.

You may not feel like jumping for joy particularly if you have just travelled from the other side of the country, but making a real effort to show your enthusiasm will help enormously in quickly re-establishing your connection.
It will also remind everyone just how much you missed them and how much you enjoy each other’s company.
Cherish the moments you have.
If you can’t be home on a certain day, then plan an alternate day. Make this day just as special and celebrate when you can, just like the real day.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Try to reduce the likelihood of arguments over mundane matters such as tasks that need doing around the house.

Make a time to sit down (not the minute they / you walk in the door) and identify what needs doing and develop a realistic plan.
Remember once again, you don’t have to do everything yourself, try and share the load (include other family members where you can too).

Plan for the next departure

Talk well in advance about preparing for the next away trip.

Be courageous and discuss what worked and what didn’t work last time and identify each other’s needs.
When talking about your next work assignment be mindful of the words you use around children as they can take things very literally.
Rather than talk about mum or dad ‘going away’ or ‘leaving’, say they are ‘going to work’.

Please remember that if you are struggling at Christmas and need some support, contact a GP, EAP provider, HR representative or Mental Health Professional.