Wellbeing

How to stay well

Your mental and physical wellbeing is one of your greatest assets. Here are five proven ways to keep yourself in top form, so you can farm at your best and enjoy the journey.

Connect and give

Connect with people who contribute to your life in a positive way. Meaningful relationships will help reduce potential feelings of isolation associated with farming, particularly in tough times. It can be as simple as dropping in for a cuppa with one of your neighbours or friends.

Giving your time or expertise to others also has a direct positive effect on the neurochemicals in your brain. You'll feel a sense of satisfaction, pride and enjoyment. These feelings are what help us become more resilient and better able to cope with stress.

• Attend a DairyNZ event to connect with other farmers in your area.
• Check out the regular meetings, workshops, conferences, resources and more at Dairy Women's Network.
• During summer evenings, take a break and join Surfing for Farmers.

Keep learning

Stimulating our brains by learning new things helps to keep us sharp. Having a broad knowledge of a range of topics will assist you when making key decisions on-farm. Stimulate your brain by learning more, whether it’s extending your professional experience or a hobby or interest. The more exercise your brain gets, the better it will perform when you need it most.

Learning ideas:

• Find a DairyNZ Training Event near you, such as Mark & Measure, MilkSmart, BCS or FarmTune.
• Sign up for one of the excellent courses offered by PrimaryITO.
• Sign up to one of the many Dairy Training Limited courses.
• Investigate what local training or groups you could join in a hobby or interest.

Be safe and have a plan

To ensure peace of mind and safeguard your business, take some timeto put in place protective measures for yourself and your farm. Sort out your insurance policies, set financial budgets and feed plans, and create robust recruitment processes and employment contracts. Also, implement staff rosters and spring rotation planners.

Tools to help:

• For all the documents and plans you need for a comprehensive health and safety plan, visit Worksafe or Health and Safety DairyNZ
• Gain confidence in your pasture management using our Spring Rotation Planner.
• Learn about having a well-planned recruitment and onboarding process.
• Take control of spending decisions through budgeting. Once you get your budget sorted, it makes other on-farm decisions easier.

Rest and take notice

Taking meal and rest breaks through the day is critical for our resilience because when we’re fatigued, it’s much harder to make good decisions. It’s just as crucial to get away from the farm entirely, aiming for a few consecutive days off following the busy periods.

Achieving as close to eight hours sleep a night as possible will also help to keep you from burning out.

Take time in the day to pause and notice the things you love about farming. Reminding yourself why you do it can make the tough times easier.

For more on resting and taking notice:

• See what other farmers told Farmstrong about having a break and check out Farmstrong’s tips for better sleeping.
• Learn some simple techniques from Mentalhealth.org.nz for taking notice.

Be active and eat well

Many farmers are active on a day-to-day basis, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re fit. To improve resilience and become stronger physically and mentally, you need to elevate your heart rate for 20 minutes at least three days of the week.

The food we eat is just as important. It contributes significantly to the energy needed to perform at your best. You pay careful attention to what your cows eat – so why not do the same for your own nutrition?

For more on being active and eating well:

• Check out Farmstrong’s tips for getting farm fit and eating well.
• Wear a smart watch and monitor your heart rate and activity rates. You can set goals for the day or the week that are suitable for you.

Identifying burnout and stress

Battling unhealthy stress for long periods can lead to a full crash – known as burnout. It's crucial to recognise the signs of stress and burnout to ensure the well-being of yourself and your team. Identify the different kinds of stress you and your team may be experiencing, and learn how to spot the signs of stress early so you can take steps to regain your well-being if needed.

10 signs of illness and burnout

1. Continually tired and rundown.
2. Often sick with colds, flus or tummy bugs.
3. Constantly irritable.
4. Quick and noticeable weight loss or gain.
5. Dependent on caffeine to get through the day (more than four caffeine drinks daily).
6. Frequent arguing with friends, family and work colleagues.
7. Making self-degrading comments (e.g. ‘I’m useless’, ‘I’m going nowhere’, ‘I can’t do anything right’).
8. Sudden changes in mood, personality or behavior, which last for several weeks.
9. Lack of appetite.
10. Prolonged disinterest in jobs or things you used to enjoy.

If you notice several of these happening at once, you might not be doing what’s necessary to stay well. Spend some time figuring out which areas of ‘How to stay well’ isn't being put into practice.

When in doubt, take time out, or give your affected team member some time off. Talk about what’s going on, rather than ignoring it. Also, make or encourage good food choices.

Different types of stress

Good stress

"I'm excited about being on farm today. I love what I do."

You know that feeling when you have a goal, and the challenge of reaching it excites you? That’s good stress. It’s when we feel motivated and slightly pushed, but not overwhelmed.

For example, you’re facing a wet, challenging spring, and you need to make some critical decisions. Working through the options and scenarios is encouraging, and makes you feel like the end is in sight. This motivates you to carry on and find the solution.

Excessive stress

"I don't really want to deal with the farm. I'm dreading what it will throw my way today."

When you’re experiencing negative thoughts and feelings, rather than excitement and motivation, you’re probably under excessive stress.

For example, you’re lying in bed at night thinking/worrying about all sorts of things: the round length is too short, the cows are losing weight, we have a herd test next week, the calves need drenching. Everything piles on top of each other, and you start to get a feeling of helplessness, like it’s getting out of control. Despite this, you carry on each day.

Burnout

"I don't feel like I can cope with the farm today, but I know I have to."

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged excessive stress.

For example, you’ve been under financial stress for such a long time that you just don’t have any energy left to deal with the issues. Even so, you plod along and do the best you can.

Mental illness

"I can't think straight. I don't know where to begin with running this farm. I just want to stay in bed."

This is that state where our normal functioning – eating, sleeping, daily tasks – is seriously impaired. It’s a mental or physical condition marked by the disorganisation of personality, mind, and emotions. Any of us can end up in this situation if we get too overwhelmed. It’s important to get help if you find yourself in this place. There’s a huge amount of support available for farmers.

Suicidal

"I'm useless and a waste of time. I don’t want to be here anymore."

If you’re feeling like this, please seek professional help right away. Talking to someone is so important, and there are caring people who want to help you. Many people have felt this way and found their way out.

How to help someone who looks like they're headed to burnout or depression

• Be on their side – let them talk! Listening is a powerful tool.
• Show understanding and sympathy.
• Don’t judge them.
• Avoid offering advice.
• Avoid making comparisons.
• Don’t try to minimise their pain or act like it’s not a big deal.

Who else can help?

If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out for help today. There’s a huge amount of support on hand.

Talking Dairy podcast 55: Striking the balance - mental health and wellbeing

Our guests Matte Kirk and Kelly Dickey share their thoughts on mental wellness in the rural sector. Are farmers getting better at talking about how they’re feeling? Why is getting off the farm so important? How do Matte (former dairy farmer, Pioneer area manager) and Kelly (sharemilker, Rural Support Trust facilitator) stay in top form? The pair also talk about the great work of Surfing For Farmers, which they both help to run in Raglan, on Waikato's west coast.

Talking Dairy podcast 51: Mental health: 'Don't be afraid to open up'

Overwhelmed by workload pressure, self-doubt and a fear of what others expected of him, fifth-generation farmer Sam Spencer-Bower stopped being able to function. It took six months before his wife – and Sir John Kirwan – helped convince him to get help. Sam joins us to share his mental health journey: the underlying causes, learning to talk about it, and the skills he’s developed to cope with the stresses of the job.

Talking Dairy podcast 33: Tools for coping with farm stress

Taranaki dairy farmer Kane Brisco nearly walked away from farming, worn down by the constant physical and mental strains of the job. But at his lowest, he started figuring out practical ways to cope with stress and recharge his passion for life on the land. In this episode, Kane shares the tools he’s developed – ranging from breathwork to boxing – to operate at his best.

Talking Dairy podcast 26: Rural women are struggling too

Stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and other wellbeing issues are a growing concern in the rural sector. Often, the conversations we have about it are focused on men. But what about rural women? They make up half of our sector, so why aren’t we talking much about their wellbeing too? Is it because we think they’re generally doing pretty well in this area? Dairy farmer and leadership coach Loshni Manikam says that’s not the case – many rural women are indeed struggling. So, what kinds of challenges are women facing, why don’t we hear much about it, and how does it affect us all?