Is turfcare helping your mental health?

In the mental health and wellbeing section of Pitchcare magazine, we have covered topics related to stress management, anxiety, and work-life balance. In this article, I explore social media to discover whether turfcare is helping people’s mental health.

Many would say that working outside is a great way to improve mental health being out in the sunshine and getting your feet moving. However, some argue that the increasing demands in turfcare have contributed to a decline in their mental health and wellbeing.

A course manager from Redcar recently posted on Facebook: “A job that has the worst impact on mental health.” He was referring to the profession of greenkeeping. To my surprise, a fair number of the comments echoed this sentiment.

One greenkeeper from Maidstone highlighted both the challenges of the job and the importance of a strong team:

“I do love my job. However, in the winter our saturated course means it's more physically demanding than any other job. I've done groundwork, worked on the rails, steel fabrication, but nothing like this. We take the rough with the smooth. In all my working life, I've never worked with such a fantastic but small team who support each other. It’s tough, but we keep each other’s spirits up.”

Another person commented on how the business side of turfcare can impact mental health:

“If you have an unrealistic and unsupportive committee, as well as a poor budget with worn equipment and unrelenting weather, then yes our job can take a toll on mental health and wellbeing. But when things are in our favour, our job is the very best.”

Despite many aspiring to leadership roles, a greenkeeper from Middlesbrough highlighted how these roles can affect wellbeing:

“Maybe for your average greenkeeper it’s a walk in the park, but being a head greenkeeper is completely different. You have constant worries, all year round, counting on the weather being on your side. Normally, it depends on other people to determine whether you’re doing a good job, and there's constant pressure from members and committees. Mental health is a huge part of our business, affecting many people, yet it still isn’t highlighted enough.”

Some leapt to the defence of turfcare, describing the positive effect it has had on their mental health:

“Sorry, but I couldn't disagree more. You want to try working in the Australian youth prison system where the crooks have more rights than the prison officers. Greenkeeping greatly improved my mental health. Working outdoors in the fresh air, working with nature, early-morning sunrises, lots of time spent on a mower or hand-watering. Unless you have a toxic boss, colleagues, or workplace culture, I couldn't think of a better profession for mental health.”

Others compared turfcare to their previous careers, highlighting how it has improved their wellbeing:

“I spent 40 years running my own small business in the furniture industry before taking up greenkeeping. There is no comparison. I feel as if I’ve emerged from a long, dark tunnel, I have never felt more content.”