MEDITATION AND APPS TO HELP ADDRESS THE FIFO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
Ms Piller holding a class at a camp (Source: Sasha Piller)
Mrs. Sasha Piller was a young girl when she saw the impacts the fly-in-fly-out industry has on families.
“My Dad was a big mining man, always flat out busy… I missed a lot of time I could have spent with him”.
Now living in Karratha with her partner who works in the resources industry, Owner and Director of Karma Life Studio Mrs. Piller said that she wanted to bring mindfulness to the mining community.
Her studio has partnered with Rio Tinto and mine sites around the Karratha and Pilbara area to hold wellness days and meditation for campsites.
She said she wanted to bring people back into themselves to not have to strive all the time and to reduce the pressure people put on themselves.
When she started Piller said that people are often quite cautious when they first come into classes.
But in the end, everyone tends to loosen up during the mediation.
“The only difference is that they wear jeans when I ask them not to”.
FIFO CAMPS ARE “QUITE ISOLATING”
Erin Bell [middle] founded camp connect to create a platform workers (Source: Camp Conncect)
One in four fly-in-fly-out workers experiences mental health issues.
A 2018 report by the center for transformative work design did a longitudinal study on the effects of fly-in-fly-out work agreements on staff’s general wellbeing and mental health.
From the study, a series of recommendations were made, including developing a culture that prioritises mental health.
Founder of Camp Connect Erin Bell, worked in a FIFO camp for many years an experience she said could be quite isolating.
“ A lot of the workforce are missing out on essential and critical information”.
Bell said her first day at camp she felt isolated.
“A lot of people I’ve spoken to and cried thinking what have I done”.
Since leaving her FIFO position, Erin founded the app Camp Connect which hopes to help those who are isolated due to the dynamics of camp life.
The app hopes to connect people in mining camps together, to help create a sense of community.
If this article has raised any issues for you, please call or visit the resources below:
1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732, https://www.1800respect.org.au/
Spartan First Suicide Prevention Crisis Line – 1800 370 747
Lifeline – 13 11 14,org.au