By Lesley Kelly, Farmer and Co-Founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation

Those working in agriculture face unique stressors.  Even under ideal conditions, farming and ranching can be stressful. It can be difficult for farmers to leave their stress at work at the end of the day. Many things are out of a farmer’s control and as the busy season of planting approaches, the rising demands and pressures of farming are likely to increase stress and impact our mental health. 

Farmers and ranchers are known to be resilient. In recent years, more attention has been focused on farmers and ranchers putting their health first – both physical and mental. Farmers and ranchers are taking the most important step - learning and talking more about mental health, which helps to prepare to better manage their mental and physical health during the busy season. 

While eliminating stress may not be realistic during the busy seasons, there are management strategies that can be employed to reduce and relieve it. Here are 10 strategies to help you put your mental health first during those busy seasons:

1. Schedule self care: Practicing some type of self-care each day can go a long way to filling up your mental health cup. This could be 15 minutes of breathing or meditation, a few minutes with a book, a cup of coffee in the quiet before the family wakes up, a walk with your dog, etc. There will always be work that needs to be done, especially during the busy seasons, but prioritizing your mental health is one of the most important things a farmer and rancher can do. Taking care of one self may look and feel different each season, but there are small things you can do that will make a huge, positive impact on your mental health.

2. Work on getting good sleep: It can be difficult to sleep well during busy and stressful times, but sufficient rest is key to staying healthy. Lack of sleep can slow your reaction time and increase the likelihood of mistakes and accidents. A useful strategy is to create a bedtime routine. When you head to bed, turn off all the lights and sounds. Falling asleep with a TV on or scrolling your phone can be disruptive to your body’s natural sleep cycle. Create a cool and comfortable environment to help your body relax quickly.

3. Don’t forget about the necessities: Healthy food, drinking water, etc.  Those are the necessities and when we don’t get them we tend to feel pretty crappy. It might sound like a good idea to stay up late to get things done during busy season, or to go through the drive-through yet again, but both those things could end up hurting you more in the long run. 

4. Take breaks: Take a couple of short breaks each day to think about something other than work. Talk to a friend or family member, watch funny videos online or take a short walk.  Just a few minutes of mental rest can sustain you over a long workday.

5. Focus on communication: Whether you're talking to family or employees, make sure you’re clear about what needs to be done. Sacrificing clear communication for the sake of time typically leads to errors and needing to redo work and can impact relationships.

6. Spend time with friends and family: Studies have shown that spending time with family and friends can help people cope with stress because it encourages talking about issues and challenges instead of turning to less healthy coping mechanisms. Connecting with others, even through a text or phone call can also help combat isolation.

7. Breathing: Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes. While there are many breathing exercises, a few simple ones include:

1. Breathe in through your nose and watch your belly fill with air. Count slowly to three as you inhale. Hold for one second and then slowly breathe out through your nose as you count to three again.

2. Breathe in through your nose and imagine inhaling peaceful, calm air. Imagine that air spreading through your body. As you exhale, imagine you’re breathing out stress and tension.

8. Listen to music: Listening to calming music or music you enjoy can have a very relaxing and positive effect on the body.

9. Write it down: While recording what you are stressed about is one approach, another is jotting down what you would like to get accomplished and prioritize, or what you’re grateful for. Your phone can be a great tool. You can also do this through voice notes and keep messages, ideas, thoughts and lists on our phone.

10.  Recognize when you are overwhelmed and take action: We all know that feeling: our heartbeat quickening, our brain feeling like it is going in a million directions at once. If you are feeling overwhelmed take a breather, correct the problem before it gets out of control—leading to total burnout. Turn off your phone for a night to take a walk with your family, seek counseling services, meditate, go to bed early, etc.

If you or someone in your family or farm team are going through a hard and stressful time, reach out to a professional. For local crisis contacts and resources visit https://www.domore.ag/crisis-contacts.