Dealing with stress and uncertainty
Whether it’s extreme weather events or changing regulations, dealing with uncertainty is a constant for many farmers and growers. Here are Farmstrong Ambassador Sam Whitelock’s …
In farming there are many things outside your control, which can increase your risk of unhealthy stress.
Month after month of badly managed stress can eventually result in ‘burnout’. Burnout sneaks up on you over time, like a slow leak. It’s characterised by physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, detachment and feelings of ineffectiveness.
Farmstrong asked farmers their questions about stress and burnout. Clinical psychologist Sarah Donaldson answered these questions and provides advice on managing stress and preventing burnout.
If you're struggling to cope with stress, that’s when it’s good to talk to others. Surround yourself with people who are upbeat, pragmatic and able to give you a different perspective. This can change the way you look at a situation. Having strong connections with family and friends and others in your community are a big part of staying well.
When your body is under threat from being too busy or mentally pressured, it releases stress hormones that increase your stimulation level making it hard to relax or sleep well at night. To prevent being overstimulated, do some exercise or try deep abdominal breathing and other relaxation techniques.
Become aware of your negative thoughts and practice thinking in more helpful ways. An example would be, "Yes, it’s been a tough year with drought, but the long range forecast is more promising. Every farmer in the area has been through this before and got through ok." Thinking in helpful ways gives you better balance and helps reduce distress.
Awareness is key. The earlier you recognise the signs of unhealthy stress the better you’ll be able to manage them.
Recovery periods are vital. Daily and weekly ‘down time’ is important as well as taking a holiday after really busy times.
Secondly, come up with a plan. Instead of trying to do everything, it’s about asking yourself what are the one or two top things I need to work on right now? Focus on them and park everything else. Once you’re feeling back in charge and your stress levels go down, some of the other issues bugging you may disappear.
A way to cope with lots of demands is by reducing or delegating them to others. Check out the Coping Bottle analogy for how unhealthy stress can build up to the point where you ‘blow your lid’.
Burnout is essentially your body hitting the wall and saying, “I’ve had it. You should’ve given me a break and you haven’t.” Your body is letting you know that it’s mentally and physically exhausted.
Signs include:
Have a look at the actions and behaviours checklist in the The Warning Signs of Unhealthy Stress. If some of these look familiar to you, then you may be experiencing burnout or heading towards it.
When people are under pressure the things that disappear are often the things that keep us well and prevent us getting burnt out. Continue to:
Building in enjoyable activities is really important. Those are the things that give us more coping space and keep us feeling on top of things. For more tips and ideas view Managing Stress – the Essentials.
A general rule of thumb that a person is under unhealthy stress, is when their daily functioning and relationships are being impacted.
For example, if the person doesn’t seem themselves and shows ongoing changes in their normal behaviour and thinking patterns.
When we just keep going without a break from the ongoing physical or mental demands we are facing, our body finds it hard to keep up and the cracks begin to show.
A catch-up with your GP, a local counsellor, Rural Support Trust worker or supportive friend, can give you some ideas or a plan to get things back on track.
For specific signs check out The Warning Signs of Unhealthy Stress. If a number of these signs look familiar then seeking help is a good idea.
It’s really hard to see and hear our partner unhappy, particularly on a daily basis. Ask them how long they’ve been feeling like this. It may be a symptom of ‘burnout’.
It would also be good to find out which bits of their job/business they’re ‘over’ and what they still enjoy. Ask them what could help them feel more motivated to move forward. For example, do they need to:
Bear in mind, it’s good to get your health and wellbeing back on track first before making any big decisions.
Whether it’s extreme weather events or changing regulations, dealing with uncertainty is a constant for many farmers and growers. Here are Farmstrong Ambassador Sam Whitelock’s …
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