Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the planting season. Many years ago, when I was a green Extension Educator, I recorded a radio clip about stress during the planting season. That was probably my initial toe-dipping into the world of farmer wellness. I have since “gone off the deep end.” There is certainly a seasonality to stress on the farm, but it’s important that we don’t downplay that. I often hear (from people in all lines of work), “that’s just part of the job.” Sure, there are some qualities to every occupation that may be stressful but are unavoidable. A certain level stress can even be GOOD for us. Knowing that, the question becomes, “when is it all too much?” The answer to that is different for everyone. Stress is experienced in different ways by different people.
When thinking of farming, there are some unique factors that are specific to the occupation:
- High interest rates
- Large debt loads
- Commodity prices
- Government regulations
- Weather
- Livestock illness
- Crop yield
- Machinery breakdown
- Illness/injury
- Long work hours
- Physical demands of work
- Relationships
- Lack of access to care
You can likely identify a farmer (or yourself) that is experiencing many of these stressors all at once. Some people are able to cope with many stressors at once, but they always take a toll on our well-being. Many of these stressors are outside of our control and yet they impact our physical, mental, and emotional health, sometimes without us even noticing. It’s important to be vigilant and self-aware as we navigate through stressful times; it’s critical to recognize when we are experiencing stress and strain on our wellness.
That leads to another question, what does stress “look like?” Stress manifests itself in different ways in different people. Me, I get really bad stomach aches and I can’t think straight (“fuzzy brain” I call it). There are physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive signs of stress. Can you identify YOUR signs in the chart on the next page?
I’m guessing you could identify at least a few of those signs in yourself and likely in others during stressful times. If we are seeing these signs, does that mean someone is in a mental health crisis? I always remind people that sometimes we just have bad days. I’ll have a bad day and recognize many of these signs. The key is, they go away usually that same day or the next day. What we need to look out for is a “bad day” that becomes a bad week, which extends into a bad month. There are some additional things to look out for to identify prolonged—or chronic—stress.
As I already hinted at, one of those factors is previously identified signs persisting or even additional signs of stress being noticed. Another indicator is a change in routine; this can mean someone who regularly attends church or coffee hour suddenly stops showing up. As routines change, so can other common tasks, like cleaning. You may start to notice a decline in someone’s personal hygiene or the appearance of their home and/or farm. As stress takes its toll on our bodies and minds, illness and farm accidents are also more likely. Lastly, a very telling sign of prolonged stress is family members beginning to show signs of stress, especially kids.
Stress is experienced in many different ways; no two people will react to a situation the same way. Understanding what stressors impact farmers and how to identify stress and chronic stress is critical to helping our family, friends, and neighbors avoid a mental health crisis. Stay tuned for next time, when I discuss the ever-popular question: “what do I do if I’m worried about someone?” Hint: there is always SOMETHING you can do. We all play a role in mental wellness.