Healthy minds, safer farms
Farming and ranching are noble jobs, but they aren't easy. Agriculture thrives when people are supported. The well-being and safety of our farmers, ranchers, and their families are just as important as caring for the land.
NDSU Extension is sponsoring two 90-minute Question. Persuade. Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Webinars.
The 90-minute webinar will address concerns of high stress levels in agriculture-related jobs and the toll on mental and emotional well-being. The webinars are scheduled for March 25 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and April 21 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Register for either webinar here.
Farmers and ranchers understand that their job comes with high stress, high demands, and threat of loss. There are many variables in agriculture beyond one's control. So we're often responding to many unpredictable circumstances, and that can have a profound impact on how our nervous system reacts. Learning how to manage stress within farming and ranching is important.
The reality of life is that stress can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime. There is no one who is an exception from experiencing stress and adversity at some point, or many points of life, especially farmers and ranchers since so many factors about this occupation and lifestyle are uncontrollable and unpredictable.
Q: What is stress?
A: Stress is a natural response. It is meant to be activated temporarily, and once the stressor(s) is eliminated, it subsides. It is not meant to be activated for days, weeks or months on end.
Q: How is chronic stress different from stress?
A: Chronic stress leads to a nervous system that does not return to baseline range easily. Chronic stress changes how the brain is activated and wired. A stress response/trauma response can occur from a one-time event or from repeated exposure to adverse events. Long-term stress can lead to symptoms associated with anxiety and depression and might require additional support to manage and recover from the effects.
Q: Is chronic stress just in the mind?
A: Both the brain and body experience the effects of chronic stress and adversity. These reactions can be immediate, delayed, long-term or triggered by past stressors/adverse life events. Sometimes you will find you are not just reacting to the present situation because of the way that highly stressful events get stored in the brain, so you might be responding to present and past stressors all at once as they can accumulate over time if the effects are not resolved.
Symptoms of Chronic Stress
Resources
This Straight Talk podcast episode features Dr. Amy Missling talking about farm stress and building mental resilience.
Dr. Josi Rudolphi was a featured workshop speaker at the NDFB Farm and Ranch Conference several years ago, but her tips on how to deal with farm stress still make sense. Rudolphi serves as a liaison between the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She grew up on a farm in rural Iowa.
American Farm Bureau Federation's initiative Farm State of Mind, provides a number of resources as well.