Everyone has days when nothing seems to go right. This can lead to a downward spiral of negative thoughts and make a bad situation even worse. The good news is you can train your brain to have more helpful thoughts using Catch It, Check It, Change It.

ACTION PLAN

• When you feel frustrated about a work situation imagine standing outside yourself and hit the ‘pause button’.
• Take a deep breath and see if you can ‘catch’ your thought.
• Check your thinking and ask yourself whether it’s helping you to achieve your goal or not. If it’s not, change it for a more helpful thought.
• This creates a much calmer space for problem solving.

Using Catch It, Check It, Change It stops you getting bogged down mentally and makes it easier to make decisions under pressure.

Sometimes shearing can be an emotional rollercoaster. There are many factors outside of your control like the weather, the state of the shed or how sheep are presented. A great way to relieve stress is to work out what you can control.

ACTION PLAN

• Make a list of the things you feel you have control over and the things you don’t.
• Prioritise the things you can control, then focus on two or three at a time so you have a clear plan of attack.
• You could include another column called ‘Things I can influence’.
• Sometimes we can’t fully control a situation, but we still have some influence. A good example might be checking to make sure the sheep are well presented before a competition.

Aim to let go ‘mentally’ of things you can’t control. Focusing on a few things at a time allows you to keep moving forward so you’re not overwhelmed by the scale of everything.

Everyone has days when nothing seems to go right. You can use a technique called ‘reframing’ to feel less negative and achieve better outcomes. To use it when you are in the heat of the moment – you could start by doing some deep breathing to help calm down and focus.

ACTION PLAN

• Ask yourself if there are other explanations for what has happened that are less negative.
• Get some perspective – take a step back and ask yourself ‘how important is this setback really in the overall scheme of things?
• Talk to someone who will help you see any upsides and talk up your good qualities Avoid people who are blamers and complainers.

Even if a situation is difficult, ask yourself if there is anything that you could learn from it so things go better in the future?

Sometimes a setback can be a useful lesson.

Having purpose and direction helps you prioritise what matters in life/work and allows you to walk away from thoughts, people, or activities that don’t help with where you want to head. It’s also a key driver to staying motivated when things get tough and helps you set and achieve goals.

ACTION PLAN

• Set a goal that motivates you and gives you a reason you go to work every day – hitting your first 300 tally, winning a shearing competition, saving up for something.
• Put that goal on a pedestal in your head and make sure it gets done.
• Do things each week that energise you and keep you heading towards your goal. Connecting with mates, going to the gym, a sport or a hobby – whatever turns your crank.

Sometimes it can be hard to work out your purpose. In the long run, allowing other people or random circumstances to dictate what you do can be a recipe for feeling lost and resentful.

Knowing your ‘why’ puts even the toughest day in the shed into perspective.