July 7, 2025
At the British Drilling Association (BDA), we continue to recognise the importance of mental health and wellbeing within our industry. Pressures at work and at home, combined with the unique challenges faced by those working in drilling and geotechnical environments, mean it is more important than ever to share practical and accessible ways to support mental health.
Perhaps you feel that some modern approaches to mental health and wellbeing are not for you. We might want to be involved in finding our own solution to how we are feeling, when we are ready, in a timescale that we can control There are many alternative methods we can try, that may improve our mental heath and wellbeing, that are completely private and might just hit the mark for us individuals.
Having challenges with mental health and wellbeing balance is not just a 2025 issue. Over 400 years ago, in 1621 a book was published that identified some self-help mechanisms, for those with low moods. The book had no buzzwords and no mantras, It was just a pioneering attempt to understand the human factors involved in mental health and suggested ways to improve those feelings.
The year 1621 – Coping mechanisms
Picking out patterns
For the person experiencing low moods, it may feel as though there is no rhyme or reason, yet our moods can often follow quite similar patterns. The author looked for patterns of mental health challenges in families and between generations. He may not have been wildly far off the mark: today, as feeling sad or depressed, has been found to have both a genetic and an environmental component. If we can notice patterns in our moods and behaviours, we may be able to start to manage the external factors which contribute to them.
Being in the natural world
Nature was noted as key for alleviating symptoms of low mood. The uplifting effects of nature were not confined to edible plants. The author was a keen supporter of gardening, digging and planting to rouse up the body. A powerful medicine can come from physically connecting with plants, handling soil and seeing the growth from planting.
A problem shared
The best way for ease is to impart our feelings to a friend, not to cover it up Observing our own feelings and moving ourselves into isolation are common behaviours amongst those experiencing depression. If loneliness, rather than serious mental illness, is causing you to experience a loss of enjoyment in pleasurable activities, a social prescription, getting involved in the local community, or taking up a new social hobby, could be a successful alternative approach.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance isn’t the exact wording the author used. His theory was that too much time spent hunched over reading and writing meant not enough time dedicated to other practises that we know are good for mental health like exercise, sleep and socialising. This is where the work life balance comes in: when our minds are restless and agitated, studying provides a welcome distraction, a positive focus and a sense of purpose. Too much study, however, and we could become sedentary and solitary, neglecting the other activities that nurture a healthy mind.
The 1621 collection of theories on the causes, symptoms and treatments of sadness and poor mental health remain useful and relevant to this day. This worked in a world with less knowledge about the science of mental health and wellbeing, a world where people were still having their own personal struggles.
Perhaps these social prescriptions might just allow us to give ourselves permission to slow down and focus on our own mental health and wellbeing.
Link to the Radio 4 series that details the 1621 book:
Author: Alison Randal, BDA H&S Sub-committee
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