Mental Health Tips for FIFO Partners: How to Thrive While Apart

Being the partner of a FIFO (fly-in fly-out) worker comes with unique emotional challenges. From managing the day-to-day at home to missing your partner during long stretches of absence, the mental load can be heavy. In this blog, I’ll share practical and supportive mental health tips for FIFO partners to help you thrive in the face of distance, stress, and loneliness.

1. Acknowledge the Mental Load of FIFO Life

FIFO relationships require resilience. As the partner at home, you're often balancing parenting, work, household responsibilities, and your own emotional needs all on your own. It’s important to acknowledge this load and not downplay what you're carrying. You are doing a lot! Giving yourself credit and recognizing that this lifestyle is challenging is a powerful first step in protecting your mental health. Daily journaling or talking with friends and family can help validate your experience. You're not being dramatic or weak — you're human.

2. Set Healthy Routines and Boundaries

Structure can be a lifesaver in FIFO life! Both kids and adults can really thrive with routine with the FIFO lifestyle. Creating a consistent routine helps reduce decision fatigue and provides a sense of stability while your partner is away. This includes meal planning, exercise, social activities, and bedtime routines. Often times families will find they have a different routine with the partner is away versus when they are home which is completely normal. Find what works for your family. Boundaries are equally important. It’s okay to say no to extra responsibilities, especially if your mental energy is low. Prioritize what matters most and give yourself permission to rest.

3. Use Tech to Stay Emotionally Connected

One of the best uses of technology today is the ability for FIFO families to stay emotionally connected, even when you're physically apart. Sometimes with busy schedule, both at home and away, it can be hard to get a call in everyday. Setting up regular video calls, sending voice notes, and sharing photos or short updates about your day can still keep you connected. Some couples also find comfort in writing daily messages or keeping a shared journal that they pass back and forth between swings. These small habits build intimacy and help you both feel seen and heard.

4. Build a Local Support Network

Isolation is one of the biggest mental health risks for FIFO partners. Creating a local support system can make a world of difference. This could be through parenting groups, church communities, friends, or even online spaces dedicated to FIFO families.Seeking out professional support like bereavement counselling or therapy isn't just for crisis situations. Having a space to talk about your stress and emotions regularly can improve your long-term wellbeing.

5. Know When to Seek Professional Support

If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed, anxious, or struggling with mood changes, it may be time to speak with a therapist. There is no shame in getting help — in fact, it’s a sign of strength. As a grief therapist on the Sunshine Coast, I offer counselling for FIFO partners navigating the emotional complexities of this lifestyle. Whether you're dealing with loneliness, burnout, or grief from missing out on shared experiences, therapy can offer tools, healing, and hope.