Ontario Farming: Stress in the Seat

I am well aware of the stress beyond the seat, the family, kids, people in the barn or in the home holding things together. But here I am talking to you- the farmer. The one in the seat, in the field and in a lot of situations maybe spending your waking hours both in the barn and in the seat. 

Hear me out. You’re a farmer, you’ve had the seed and equipment ready to go, you know you have some sunshine and good weather before a big rain coming and are rushing to get the seed in the ground. You have some done, but a long way to go. But you’re burnt out, you’re on edge, and you have barely seen your family or communicated much with friends, let alone stopped for proper meals and food. 

It’s a problem, it’s a culture, and for many it is a generational cycle, almost an expectation, and a grim reality of farming. All the while stress and suicide rates are on the rise. No one’s shocked, but often it’s the mentality that it’s just a part of the job, the lifestyle. There may be no quite fix, or lifestyle overhaul that will change the reality of the stress that accompanies work in agriculture (at least not one that I am aware of), but maybe instead the changes come from small steps towards wellbeing, or maybe just “betterbeing”. 

Worth a try ways to boost your mood and find a wee bit more wellbeing while farming. 

• Call your kids before they go to bed or in the morning before they head off to camp or school (safely of course). A quick call from the tractor, a video, or a message that can be read to fill both your bucket and there’s.  

• If you’re in the field with a breakdown or waiting for a delivery or part, get out of the seat. Walk around, touch the dirt, and move your body, at least stand up!

• Drink more water! Your day is getting away on your, you’re later than you thought you’d be so you skipped meals and didn’t pack enough food. At very least pack more water! More than you think you’ll need, keep it in the tractor, have it accessible. 

• Listen to a podcast or call a friend. An uplifting one, something or someone that brings you joy or you feel will brighten the day. 

• Plan something to look forward to. Brainstorm in the tractor, think of ideas of places to visit or activities to do. You don’t have to have a deadline or date necessarily, but having something to look forward to might bring you beyond the stress of the season. 

Small and sustainable changes this season – that’s where we can start.