Even at the best of times farming can be a stressful business.

Right now, for many of us, this is not the best of times: escalating interest rates, uncertain returns, and cataclysmic weather around much of the country can seem overwhelming, and increase the stress that farmers are under to crisis levels.

Wellbeing and resilience are frequent topics of conversation, so much so that for some it begs the question: ‘is life getting harder or are we just getting softer?’

Wellbeing and resilience reinforce each other: positive well-being increases resilience, and resilience will lead you back to wellbeing more quickly when things become tough.

Resilience derives from adaptability, community and personal care, which are all strong features of most rural districts. Perhaps therefore, farmers are uniquely well-placed to deal with the pressures we increasingly face. We need to be as these pressures are serious and rising. As well as volatile weather and uncertain markets, particular pressures farmers routinely contend with include greater isolation than most townies have to deal with, diverse and fragmented mental workloads, high debt levels, rapid staff turnover, nutrient and water limitations, health and safety regulations and what feels like – though is not always – negative public perceptions of our sector that leave many of us feeling we are farming in a fishbowl.

A certain level of some kinds of stress can be beneficial, putting us at the positive end of the wellbeing scale, where we enjoy challenges and possibilities; are rarely sick; and have no need for coffee or alcohol, although we may enjoy them! However, too much stress, typically brought on by an onslaught of new information, options or requests that leads to a near shutdown in thinking capacity, has the opposite effect: resulting in cognitive overload, or burning out. You will recognise the latter in friends or neighbours who are not keeping up with responsibilities, becoming overwhelmed, lacking confidence, reacting with belligerence, suffering failing relationships, frequently falling sick, and ultimately burning out entirely, and therefore becoming no longer able to work.

Burnout is to be avoided, particularly for anyone carrying the multiple responsibilities of farm management or ownership. Recognising the signs can be difficult for someone going through it, which is why listening to friends, family and colleagues can be useful, or even a lifesaver.

Some tips and tricks to help if you feel you are heading in the wrong direction and your wellbeing is slipping away:

• Focus on what you can control. In general you have greater control over individual lifestyle factors, and social and community networks, less control over living and working conditions, and close to zero control over general socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions.
• Know your triggers and tools. Certain things trigger us into a downward spiral, like conflict in relationships or a drop in product prices, while other things are tools to pull us up: time with good friends, a walk in nature, listening to or playing music. Each of us is unique in our triggers and tools. If you understand yours, minimising the triggers and seeking out the tools will improve your wellbeing.
• Make sure you take adequate time away from work and devices. That means taking annual leave, and trying to regularly have at least one day where you don’t think about work. It also includes turning off notifications and scheduling blocks of time away from all devices.
• Incorporate the five ways to wellbeing into your personal life. These are five simple strategies that, when introduced into your life, will provide wellbeing benefits: giving your time, your words, and your presence; being active – doing what you can and enjoying what you do in order to move your mood; keep learning, including embracing new experiences, seeing opportunities, and surprising yourself with what you can do; connecting, by talking and listening, being there, and ensuring others feel connected; and taking notice so as to focus on the simple things that give you joy.

Those who practice the above tips also set themselves up to better look after others. If you are aware of the signs, you should be able to recognise when other people seem unwell. The two most obvious indicators are changes in personality, and isolation. If you detect those signs in someone you know, make the effort to show that person you’ve noticed them, and ask if you can help. Simple and direct is usually best: ‘I’m worried about you. You haven’t seemed like yourself lately. Are you okay?’

Wellbeing matters in today’s world more than ever: work and wellbeing are intricately linked, particularly for farmers. Farmers and others I talk to appreciate gaining a better understanding of what wellbeing is, though as some have noted, at one level, this is a good reminder of the basics. Although farmers are under considerable stress, we are also well attuned to deal with that, particularly if we can reach out, keep connected, and fixate on what we can control.

With a background in psychology and physiology, Dana Carver is a senior research manager for Scarlatti, where she designs and evaluates wellbeing programmes. Her work also spans extension programme design and strategy facilitation. Her farming background includes a previous role focused on wellbeing and wellness at Dairy NZ, and equity manager of a 3300 cow dairy farm in Canterbury with her husband Tony.

Property Express - Out Now

Welcome to our autumn 2023 edition of PGG Wrightson Real Estate’s Property Express. From the first page to the last, this magazine is packed with premier rural properties which could be the setting for your next chapter.

View Now