In the words of Chelsea Erieau, “stress acts as an accelerator: it will push you either forward or backward, but you choose which direction.” Let’s not kid ourselves here, of all the career choices in the nation, farming is certainly one of the most stressful. That said, it’s imperative to maintain the ability to both recognize and manage your stress levels on the farm, or you risk reaching your breaking point.
How can you tell if you are stressed out? Answer honestly now.
- How has your daily routine changed?
- Has the level of care for the farm and animal husbandry suffered at all?
- Has your interest in other activities seemed to wane as of late?
- Have you been more irritable lately?
- Have you suffered recent bouts of insomnia?
How can you take care of your stress levels, before they take care of you?
- First and foremost, try to keep positive—whatever happens, happens
- Clearly define any goals and responsibilities ahead of time
- Focus on time management—ie. STOP PROCRASTINATING
- Exercise
- Take a break and relax.
To sum it all up, stress creates more stress. It creates issues, which weren’t there, and exacerbates those that were. A stressed-out farmer is far more likely to experience a farm-related accident than one at ease and able to deal with the ups and downs of the daily routine on a more even keel. We all have stress in our lives, happiness is not the absence of life’s problems, but the ability to deal with them—learn to let go—face it, you were never in control anyway.
While you can never really eliminate all the stress from your life, what you can do is eliminate the stress in shopping around for insurance coverage. Richey-Barrett Insurance is your Trusted Choice insurance agency where I help farmers and other members of the agricultural industry protect themselves. Don’t worry, be happy you’re protected with us!
Leave a Reply