Floating and FIFO Stress

Floating and FIFO Stress               

The open float pool at Clear Mind Studio

Fly in fly out (FIFO) is synonymous with Western Australia. Most people in the state have been through it or know someone managing a FIFO lifestyle.

Having worked that way myself, for 10 years, I know it can be gruelling on the mind and body - for both those who work away and for those at home.

The latest statistics in 2019 showed that there is 1 suicide related to FIFO work every day in WA. That is a staggering statistic. Not to mention the number of divorces, broken families, and sense of struggle and stress.    

Some of the direct effects include:

• Feelings of Isolation, Loneliness and disconnect from loved ones.

• Physical effects from a change in diet, activity, long work hours in stressful environments and a disruption in their circadian rhythm.

• Guilt or anger – from missing important events at home including raising children.

• Increased stress and strain on trying to maintain relationships.

I wrote an article last year about how to manage a FIFO lifestyle that focussed on family. It was very well received, and I would encourage anyone looking to get some perspective from my own experience to check it out.

This article will focus on one of the fundamental strategies I used to manage FIFO life and that is floatation therapy. 

When I first started floating I didn’t think of it as a tool for healing both the body and mind. I just knew I felt super relaxed afterword’s and was curious to try it again to see if I could recreate that feeling.

It turned out that the second float was even better than the first one. Not only did I feel relaxed, but I thought about some choices I needed to make at work and realised that I worked through these issues pretty easily with no distractions.

Floating Helps Work Life Transition

When you ask a FIFO worker, who has been on a rigid routine, living on their own, with each daily task outlined for them, to come home and switch to no structure, it can be very hard. Humans are not designed to make drastic shifts in daily routine, yet we ask shift workers to do this all the time.

Floating as soon as I got home from a work trip was crucial to my recovery. Instead of being awkward about being social or wanting to spend time at home, after a float I was more present, and aware that work was behind me.   

The same goes the other way, if you float before going back to work, it allows you to process everything at home and start getting your head back in the game for work. How many times have you been back on site and still angry or upset over a decision made at home just before you left? I’ve seen what an argument with a partner at the airport does.   

So, if you want to make the transition from work to home life easier, try a float right after getting home or before going back to work. You won’t regret it!

Floating Can Help Reset Your Physical and Mental Stress

Working behind a desk all day or on the tools takes its toll on the body. A build-up of awkward body positions and lifting items incorrectly can have long lasting effects on our bodies, especially our backs.

Floating is a great way to help decompress the spine and put our bodies back into natural alignment. The salt water allows us to float without the need to hold the weight of our body. This means that the body gets to work on easing out all that built up tension and stress.

By putting aside some time to relax and recover, we give ourselves a chance to avoid burning out.

Other Benefits of Floating

Floating is great if you have some issues that you need to resolve, but not enough head space to work through them.

A few other important benefits include;

·       Decreases levels of cortisol and increases the production of dopamine and endorphins. 

·       Detoxifying the body

·       A reduction in blood pressure

·       Improved immune function

At Clear Mind Studio we have several FIFO customers that routinely come straight from the airport to float before they head home.  They have found floating a really beneficial part of their work life balance.  

Next time you’re heading home from a swing or struggling with stress and balance, try a float and let us know if it helped. 

Craig Aird