Powering Up Mental Fitness in the Woolshed
Module Overview
The NZ Shearing Contractors Association (NZSCA) is teaming up with wellbeing programme Farmstrong on a new initiative designed to pass on mental fitness skills to the shearing workforce.
Everyone knows that shearing is a physically demanding job. A day ‘on the board’ shearing can be the equivalent of running back-to-back marathons. Managing that sort of workload requires mental as well as physical stamina.
The new Live Well Shear Well programme launched at this year’s World Shearing Championships in Masterton. It will pass on practical habits and thinking strategies to help shearers and wool handlers manage the day-to-day pressures of the job.
The thinking behind the programme is simple – just like you can go to a gym to become physically fitter, you can also learn mental skills that boost your mental strength and ability to manage unexpected challenges and setbacks.
The best of Farmstrong’s mental skills advice most relevant for shearing has been packaged into free, online resources in print and video that shearers and wool handlers can access via their mobiles.
Topics covered include managing every day workplace pressures, healthy thinking strategies and mindsets, working as a team, nutrition, body conditioning and rest and recovery time.
The clips feature shearing legend (newly crowned World Champion in the individual machine shearing title and 8 x Golden Shears winner) Rowland Smith and rugby legend and Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock. They discuss what they do to perform under pressure and keep well.
NZSCA executive officer and Live Well Shear Well spokesperson Phil Holden says: “Many of these mental skills are common in the world of sport because they are so effective in high pressure situations. We’re confident they can easily translate into a busy woolshed environment too.”
He says the programme also reflects the reality that many of the industry’s challenges are beyond a shearer’s control. “Issues such as adverse weather, labour shortages, changing market conditions, how the sheep are presented, the quality of different woolsheds are always going to be there, so it’s about preparing shearers as best we can to deal with them.”
Phil says Live Well Shear Well will also help address animal welfare issues that have impacted the industry’s reputation in recent years. “This programme will support people in and out the shed to maintain the right headspace to enable them to perform at their best.”
Last year, 20,000 farmers and growers attributed an increase in their wellbeing to Farmstrong. Its chief executive Gerard Vaughan says: “These results show small, everyday changes in how we think and look after ourselves can add up to big differences in our mental health. It’s great to have this partnership with NZ Shearing Contractors and extend the benefits of being Farmstrong to shearers and woolhandlers who are such an important part of our farming workforce.”
For free information and resources click here.
