Understanding
and managing ourselves.
There is a fine line between genius and madness. Learning to control your mind so that it does not control you is one of the most important tools to learn in life.
This journey is a personal one and certainly not a one size fits all approach. Have an open mind and do what feels right for you. The pressures of farming, together with its isolation, mean that farmers are more likely to experience depression and anxiety than other people. Rural farming communities are at greater risk of suicide than most other Australians. Undoubtedly, the greatest influence on our lives is going to be the positivity of our own attitudes through challenging events and situations and the resilience this creates within ourselves.
Emotional Intelligence
Psychologists, counsellers and mindset coaches will advise that being intentionally aware of our emotions, thoughts and feelings is fundamental to being able to manage resulting behaviours. This section resource aims to increase self-awareness of emotions (emotional intelligence) and to explore a range of tools that can help strengthen mental health and mindset.
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Emotional Intelligence - Dr. Travis Bradberry
Key take aways
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Emotional intelligence is the “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.
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4 key pillars of emotional intelligence (EQ) are self awareness, emotional management, social awareness and relationship management.
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It is important to know that EQ is a completely trainable characteristic and can enhance your life, that of others around you and your success.
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These 4 pillars will help you process your emotions, manage your triggers, develop healthy habits and succeed in your farming and agricultural career.
Important Videos
Developing Emotional Intelligence
Mind Tools Videos
What Is Your Myers Briggs
Personality Type?
Psych2go
Mental Health
Mental health is a critical part of our overall health—there is no health without mental health. Being mentally healthy means we can cope with life’s normal stresses, work productively, contribute to our community and enjoy life with less risk of injury and poor physical health.
It is common to experience a range of ups and downs. Our mental wellbeing is on a continuum. Where we are on the continuum can change depending on life experiences and circumstances. Anyone can move along a scale from healthy to experiencing poor mental health. Feeling stressed doesn’t mean you are depressed. Pressures of running a farming business, natural disasters like drought, floods and bushfires, changing legislation, changing market conditions, difficulty finding and keeping good workers, isolation are all unique challenges to our industry.
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REF: Australian Football League
What if mental health is just a starting point for mental fitness? | Rebekah Smith | TEDxUNISA
Key take aways
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Make your wellbeing a priority - plan time off the farm, make time for things you enjoy (they don’t have to be big things!) and find things to laugh about - laughter has both physical and mental benefits
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Looking after your body is also looking after your mind - keep physically active, maintain medical appointments. Eat healthy food and limit alcohol intake, particularly in stressful situations, alcohol can often make things worse.
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We are social creatures - keep connected with friends and family, particularly during challenging times. Surround yourself with people who are supportive - this could be friends and family or professional supports such as farm consultants, finance specialists, vets and stock agents.
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Be aware of your own early warning signs of stress including physical signs (e.g. headaches, getting sick more often), emotional signs (e.g. having a short fuse, poor concentration), lifestyle signs (e.g. working longer, socialising less)
Important Videos
From Inside the Farm Gate - Karrinjeet
Farmer Health Case Study
Steve's Story - Mental Health
Safework NSW
The Ripple Effect
Farmer Health
Resources
Click the icon to watch, read or listen
Campfire Podcasts
farmerhealth.org.au
The Imperfects
theresilienceproject.com.au
Farmers Health
farmerhealth.org.au
NCFH Stress Tool
farmerhealth.org.au
Mental Health Continuum
insightpsychological.ca
Digital Storytelling for Farmer Health, Wellbeing and Safety
farmerhealth.org.au
Mindset
Your mindset is a collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your 'thought habits'. In turn, your thought habits affect how you think, what you feel and do. Your mindset impacts how you make sense of the world and yourself. When your tractor dies or a deadline looms, how will you respond?
A challenge in farming and agriculture is the influence of outside factors on production and success. It is important to reframe these external factors for what they are, looking for ways that empower you rather than taking the control away. In contrast, taking full responsibility or feeling in control is empowering. The approach that circumstances happen ‘for you’ rather than ‘too you’ gives you the opportunity to learn new strategies and improve should this situation present itself again.
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HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE (Locus of Control)
Key take aways
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Your mindset plays a critical role in your stress response but also your decision making and subsequent actions. All within your control.
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Having an external locus of control is disempowering and you take the stance of blaming others.
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An internal locus however is feeling empowered, taking responsibility for the situation and looking for learnings from what has presented. The difference is not about fault but about maintaining influence on where to go next.
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Understanding what’s happening inside your body and learning simple coping skills to combat the negative impacts of everyday stressors can provide huge benefits to the mind.
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While it is unrealistic to bare all responsibility all the time, it is important to develop stress management strategies that support challenging times. See more tips below that can assist in managing stress.
Important Videos
Ash Barty's mindset coach Ben Crowe on redefining success and learning to love yourself
ABC News
Don’t chase happiness. Become antifragile | Tal Ben-Shahar
Think Big
Stress Management & Mindfulness
Farming is tough on the body, and it can also take a toll on the mind. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement. It's a beneficial undertaking and provides valuable insights into the enjoyment of living and working on the land. Reducing stress can take the form of meditation, mindfulness or deliberate breathing practices.
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Associate Professor Dr Craig Hassed | Science of Mindfulness | Smiling Mind
Key take aways
Formal Meditation - This is the practice of mindfulness meditation where we sit, usually with the eyes closed, and focus attention on one thing, usually either the breath or the sensations experienced within the body (akin to the 5 senses).
Informal Mindfulness - This involves directing full and non-judgemental attention to an activity being undertaken at a particular moment. It might be washing the dishes, driving, brushing your teeth, chatting with a friend, patting an animal or studying stock prices.
Breathwork - There are many simple breathing strategies supported by research that can reduce stress in the immediate term but also decrease chronic stress and inflammation when practiced regularly over time and anytime during the day or an activity.
Important Videos
Brandon Lee on all things life and wellness
qrl.com.au
Justin Langer on meditation and mental toughness in sport
Smiling Mind
Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Dr. Andrew Huberman on the Physiological Sigh
Resources
Click the icon to watch, read or listen
MINDFULNESS
Smiling Mind App
smilingmind.com.au
Square Breathing Exercise
Black Dog Institute
Non-Sleep Deep Rest
Madefor
What is mindfulness?
Smiling Mind
Managing Stress on the Farm
Farmer Health
10 Mindfulness YouTube Channels To Help Calm Your Mind
Culture Trip
Mindfulness research probes depression benefits
Harvard University
Positive Thinking & Optimism
The commonly accepted definition of positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. Positive psychology is a scientific approach to studying human thoughts, feelings, and behavior, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses, building the good in life instead of repairing the bad, and taking the lives of average people up to “great” instead of focusing solely on moving those who are struggling up to “normal”.
You can see how this is aligned with the mental health continuum presented earlier in this tractor wheel and the overall objective of the Marcus Minds Project.
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Prof Seligman on PERMA
Key take aways
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PERMA stands for Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement.
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Positive thinking is not about being naive or ignorant of the current circumstances presented to us. It’s about finding a way forward with gratitude, hope and optimism.
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Positive psychology focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including: Positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love).Positive states and traits (like gratitude, resilience, and compassion). Positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire organizations and institutions).
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As a field, positive psychology spends much of its time thinking about topics like character strengths, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness, wellbeing, gratitude, compassion (as well as self-compassion), self-esteem and self-confidence, hope, and elevation.
“If you don’t have 10 minutes to spare daily for meditation, then you do not have a life.”
Tim Ferris. Tools for Titans.
Using Healthcare Services
Farmers and their families often face many more physical risks than other people and they are at also at increased risk of depression and anxiety. Safety and staying healthy are therefore especially important for those who work on farms.
Injuries on farms
Agriculture has the highest fatality rate of any industry in Australia. Every year, thousands of people are injured or become ill and need to go to hospital because of working on a farm. This is because there are many hazards on farms such as vehicles, chemicals, large farm animals and extreme weather conditions. Farmers often work alone in remote locations without mobile phone coverage or access to first aid. Vehicle accidents cause more than 3 in 4 deaths on farms. The most common cause of injury on farms is quad bikes, but farmers may also be injured driving on rural roads or in aircraft.
Injuries can also be caused by:
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agricultural machinery like tractors and harvesters
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snakes, ticks and venomous spiders
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dams and creeks
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electrical fencing
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fire and flood
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rifles and guns
Staying healthy as a farmer
Avoiding accidents is an important part of farming.
This includes learning how to:
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Use a quad bike safely
Staying physically fit is important. The National Centre for Farmer Health has information about staying fit on the farm.
Farmers are often good at helping others but not so good at seeking help for themselves. It can be hard to access mental health support if you are living on a farm. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing depression or anxiety, then it’s important to get help. Talk to friends, other farmers, a doctor or someone at Beyond Blue’s support service.
There is a range of online mental health resources available on the Head to Health website. The healthdirect website has more information on rural and mental health. AgHealth Australia has also produced a useful booklet to help you identify and manage the stress of farming.
Access to medical services and treatment
Accessing health services and treatment in remote and rural areas can often be difficult. Find out here about rural and remote health and services in your state or territory. If you are concerned about any symptoms, use healthdirect Symptom Checker to find out what to do next. You can also find the nearest health services to you using healthdirect service finder.
More information on farmer health
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The National Centre for Farmer Health has information and advice for farmers and their families.
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Farmsafe Australia has advice on staying safe on farms.
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Beyond Blue offers mental health advice and support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1300 22 4636.
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Lifeline offers 24-hour crisis support. Call 13 11 14.
Roll on to the other 'tractor wheels'
Congratulations on working through the Mind focus area of the Marcus Minds Project 'Tractor Wheel'. Remember, these resources are not going anywhere. Feel free to return to them time and time again, especially should a moment in life present that needs more clarity or extra guidance.
Here are four more areas that can support a healthier, wealthier, happier and wiser rural lifestyle.
Click any of the 'tractor wheels' above to learn how to better manage the ins and outs of rural life, work and living based on each topic. These insights can assist to get people rolling in a better direction, avoid getting bogged and steer towards greater wellbeing and emotional intelligence.
