In recent years, mental health has been taken much more seriously by the American public, due in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, mental health professionals are receiving new clients. I am not ashamed to say that I go to therapy regularly, especially after major events in my life, such as leaving maritime college. I was at my lowest point then, and therapy helped me get back on track in multiple ways.
Mental health plays a vital role in the railroading field and can easily turn a bad day into a good one. What makes a good day on the railroad? For me, that’s a day when no one got hurt, no equipment was damaged, the guests enjoyed the excursions, and we (the crew) chose a good attitude. We’ll discuss techniques that have helped me maintain my mental health while working on trains. Ready to get on the couch? Let’s check in.
Get Plenty of Rest
At its most basic level, being rested means getting enough good-quality sleep. For the average person, that means at least 7 hours of sleep. I shoot to get eight hours of sleep before going to work. This may vary from person to person, but you must let your body rest before reporting to the railroad. If I don’t go to work without enough sleep, I get irritable, which results in me doing inferior work. That reflects poorly both on me and on the company.
Being rested extends beyond sleeping, however. It also means allowing your mind a chance to unwind and relax. I like to relax by reading a book, playing a game on my PC, or writing. For some of you, relaxing might involve any of your interests, be it watching TV, reading novels, building a model railroad, or anything else. It’s equally important to rest your mind as well as your body. When I have a rested mind, I am ready to take on the challenges I will encounter on the rails.
Talk it Out
We all have tough days at work, and those problems could be caused by anything. Some difficulties I have encountered on the trains include irate customers, missing tools or supplies, and falling behind schedule. Trouble will happen, and that’s okay, but what I have found harmful is not talking about what happened afterward with someone I trust.
For example, on one Christmas excursion, I had one customer who was the definition of an entitled brat. She was making unrealistic demands of the car’s server, demanding special treatment for her family, and making a general nuisance of herself. As a member of the train crew, I had to ask her to be courteous. It was an exhausting experience.
At the end of the excursion, I talked about this customer with my fellow train crew members. My Conductor agreed that the woman’s behavior was unacceptable. We both agreed that if we had a similarly behaved customer in the future, we would take appropriate action to protect the staff and guests, such as by posting a uniformed crew member in the car. The Conductor’s empathetic ear turned an unpleasant experience into a learning opportunity.
Choose a Good Attitude
They say your attitude makes all the difference. In my experience, it truly does! Stepping onto a train with a positive, healthy outlook is a huge part of turning any day or night into a good one. How? Let’s look at an example.
One morning, I was assigned to work as a Car Host aboard a steam train excursion. I admit, I was not in the best state of mind that day. I was tired, hungry, and had arrived late. The day was off to a bad start. However, I knew that by allowing myself to be controlled by my negative emotions, I was doing a disservice to my fellow crewmembers and the company.
That day, I had to shift my mindset to focus on the positives. What did I find good about that morning? Well, the sun was out, I was working with guys I respected, and I was making money. Furthermore, by choosing a good attitude and wearing a smile, I was making our guests feel welcome. I had to make it clear that they were coming into a friendly environment without telling them so.
Just think about how that day would have turned out had I been a grump. Would the guests be happy? Would my Conductor and Trainman have felt supported? Certainly not.
Lean on Your Support System
Having a support system means having people that you trust to share experiences with and get support of any kind from. People within your support system may include family members, close friends, a spouse, coworkers, or even a therapist. Shortly before writing this, I made an appointment with my therapist. My conversations with him are always calming and enlightening.
Why is it important to have a support system in place for yourself, particularly when it comes to railroading? In my experience, having support means not having to endure life’s challenges on my own. One of my closest friends is also a coworker. Because we rarely work together on the same train, he and I routinely have phone calls to discuss work, trains, our careers… anything that’s on our minds. On the rare occasions that we do work together, we have a great time by swapping jokes during down moments.
Your support system doesn’t have to include your coworkers, but to make the work more enjoyable, it’s a good idea to get to know them. If you have shared interests, talk about them to each other. As train crew at a heritage railroad, just about all of us are railfans in some form, so we are routinely talking about trains and locomotives. That shared interest has allowed us to bond as coworkers, and it makes our work much more enjoyable.
When at Work, Make the Most of It
All of us indeed have days where we would rather not be at the railroad, or work in general. Some days we would rather spend at home, on vacation… frankly, anywhere else. Those kinds of days, I have found, are the days where we need to realize how lucky we are to work where we do and to do what we do.
In December of 2023, the train crew roster at my railroad was short of qualified people for the roles of Conductor, Trainman, and Car Host. As a result, everyone was working more hours than usual, including me. To keep myself from burning out, I continually reminded myself of just how special the North Pole Express truly is. It allows me to experience the magic of Christmas in a way that I could have only dreamed of in my childhood.
What makes it so special? That topic could cover an entire post on its own. What makes it so special for me is seeing how excited the children get. The adults all see the children make holiday memories. Very few North Pole Express riders have walked away disappointed. That makes me proud to work at the event, no matter how exhausting it can get.
Conclusion
Taking care of your mental health is important, especially when railroading is involved. I encourage you to avoid burnout, get rest, seek out support, and enjoy work. These tips have certainly worked well for me (and still do). Remember that there is no shame in taking care of yourself. It’s a vital part of living a healthy life.
Happy railroading, my friends. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog, and as always, thanks for reading!