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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

Fit for work, healthy for life – the science of wellbeing

Mike (Michael) Ashman A *
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A Esso Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

* Correspondence to: Michael.ashman1@exxonmobil.com

The APPEA Journal 62 S219-S221 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21214
Accepted: 8 March 2022   Published: 13 May 2022

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.

Abstract

To help reduce physical injuries and improve mental health, Esso Australia has partnered with a seasoned wellness coach on a ‘Fit for Work, Healthy for Life’ program for the offshore workforce. Creating a health and wellbeing ‘game of life plan’ for an imperfect world, tailored to the challenges of offshore work to support personnel to perform at their best in all facets of life, at each stage of life, with a strong focus on being in the right head space to succeed. Key aspects are learning, eating, sleeping, connecting, injury prevention training, procrastination, instant gratification and mental health. Central to making any behavioural changes is individual engagement and making time to listen, which is being achieved through a real-world approach, discussing everyday challenges and normalising personal conversations combined with coaching on how to spark and manage difficult conversations to solve issues and concerns. As ‘no one t-shirt fits everyone’, we need to take diverse approaches, understanding that we are different, genetically, emotionally, physically and psychologically. ‘Listening to your body’ is a strategy discussed during the sessions that enables people to understand and act on potentially unrecognised mental or physical signs their body may be presenting. Since being rolled out to the offshore Esso workforce in the second quarter of 2021, the positive feedback from both a physical and mental health perspective from the participants has been overwhelming, with a common theme of healthy body, healthy mind shining through!

Keywords: coaching, exercise, healthy eating, listen to your body, mental health, mentoring, Stretch Back 5 × 5, weight, wellbeing, wellness.

Mike Ashman is Esso Australia’s Offshore Safety Coordinator, based in Melbourne, Australia and works across Well Work, Decommissioning and Producing assets. During his 18 year career in the Oil and Gas Industry, Mike has worked on remote land rigs in the outback of Western Australia, Offshore Production Platforms, Floating Production Storage and Offloading facilities, Semi-Submersible Drilling Rigs, Jack-Up Rigs and Drill Ships in Angola and Australia, Modular Land Drilling Rigs operating in the remote Southern Highlands province in PNG and provided shore-based management in Luanda, Angola and Melbourne, Australia for ExxonMobil Drilling and Production operations.