RUGGED Preparation and Prevention: Catch It Early, Know the Warning Signs

This month, RUGGED Mind and Body is focusing on preparation and prevention, sharing education, resources and practical strategies from established health and safety organizations to help trades professionals protect their long-term physical and mental health.

Prevention is already a familiar concept in the trades. You inspect equipment, identify hazards, wear the appropriate protective equipment and address problems before they become injuries or costly failures. Taking a preventive approach to your mental health and well-being is just as important.

Notice Changes From Your Normal Routine

Everyone has difficult days. What matters is recognizing when something feels different from your normal pattern, particularly when changes begin affecting your work, relationships or responsibilities. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), potential early warning signs of a mental health challenge can include*:

Sleeping too much or too little
Pulling away from people or activities
Having low or no energy
Feeling unusually angry, worried, upset or confused
Experiencing significant mood changes
Smoking, drinking or using drugs more than usual
Having difficulty completing normal daily responsibilities

SAMHSA also advises paying attention when changes in thoughts, mood or the body persist and make it difficult to manage work, home or relationships. Recognizing changes early gives you an opportunity to act before stress or other challenges become more difficult to manage.

Do a Quick Check Before the Shift

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages regular check-ins with workers to understand how they are doing and identify stressors that may be affecting them**. You can apply the same idea personally by taking a moment before work to check in with yourself. Before a shift, ask yourself:

What is my stress level today?
How did I sleep?
Am I having trouble concentrating?
Am I unusually frustrated, angry or distracted?
Do I feel focused enough to work safely?

A personal check-in does not need to take long. The purpose is to recognize a meaningful change from your normal baseline and decide whether you need to slow down, address a stressor, speak with someone or use an available support resource.

Pay Attention to Pain

Physical work can leave you sore, but recurring pain or other symptoms shouldn’t automatically become “part of the job.” Repetitive lifting, kneeling, twisting, gripping, overhead work and awkward positions can contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.*** Pay attention to symptoms such as:

Recurring or persistent pain
Numbness or tingling
Weakness
Reduced movement or range of motion
Strains that do not improve

Report symptoms early rather than waiting for them to become more serious. Early attention may provide an opportunity to adjust tasks, tools or work practices and reduce continued strain on the body.

In the trades, you don’t wait for equipment to completely fail before performing maintenance. Your physical and mental health deserve the same preventive approach. Pay attention to changes. Know your personal warning signs. Check in with yourself regularly. Do not normalize pain. When something does not feel right, take an appropriate next step rather than assuming you simply need to push through it.

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