#3 An Individual Approach to Ag and Rural Mental Health
Mental health in agriculture
This is an important topic; one that can’t be summed up with simple numbers and data. Real people face mental health issues everyday. It’s important to remember that they’re people, with lives and families and friends.
In this episode, I wanted to talk about the reality that mental health issues are very prevalent in all facets of the agriculture industry. Specifically, farming is a very isolating career, which can magnify mental health issues.
If you, or someone you know, are facing mental health challenges of any kind, I encourage you to talk to someone. You are not alone.
Episode at a Glance:
[6:20]: Stress on the farm
“We prioritize work over our own health, most often. That’s just kind of part of the lifestyle. Most of us don’t really think of stress as something that affects us.”
[12:38] The statistics matter
“These numbers matter. And, how we use them matters. Let us all be careful when sharing the statistics of mental health issues in agriculture and agricultural communities to double check our facts. And understand where the data is coming from and how it’s being used to tell the story.”
[17:15] It’s up to the farmers and ranchers
“We are the only ones who are capable of solving these problems. And I genuinely believe that. Technology is going to have a role. Science is going to have a role. But, the people out there doing the production also play a vital role in solving these problems.
[20:58] Talk to those around you
“If you have someone in your life who farmed through the farming crisis in the 1980s, hearing what they felt and what they thought during that time might be incredibly helpful.”
[22:25] Identifying a mental health struggle
“What I think we need to understand about mental health is that it’s not a yes or no issue. It’s a spectrum. Stressed and tired may very well be something more, if it’s affecting you in a negative way repeatedly. Hearing about people’s circumstances and what they’re going through can help us to identify what’s happening with us in a new way.”
[28:09] Shaping our reality
“I think we discredit the powerfulness of the human brain, and how much our thought process and our mindset influences our reality. If we think about things and talk about things, that is our life. That becomes our day to day. So, continuing to be stuck on particular issues and challenging situations that are stressing us out doesn’t change our reality. It actually just makes that reality expand.”
[31:35] Gaining control
“When we start to say ‘we do this, because that’s the way we’ve always done it, or because we’ve never known any difference,’ that is when we don’t have a purpose. We don’t understand our why. We may not even have a why, it may just be routine. And those routines can contribute to our lives in negative ways without us even noticing. Understanding why we do the things we do helps us take control over the things we have power over.”
Links from the Episode
https://www.fb.org/files/Impacts_of_COVID-19_on_Rural_Mental_Health_1.6.21.pdf
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/farmer-mental-health
https://nfu.org/2018/11/27/cdc-study-clarifies-data-on-farm-stress/
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
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#17 Mental Health is Not a Dirty Word in Agriculture with Jason Medows
About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright:
I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing the stories of agriculture from generations past, preserving the skills and lessons learned along the way, and ensuring the best of that is passed onto those who will continue to lead the way into the future of production agriculture.
I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media.
Connect with me on Instagram @wrightatthemoment, Facebook, and TikTok.
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