Read Time: 5 minutes
A 2021 survey of agricultural producers in Canada found that 3 in 4 were experiencing moderate or high perceived stress, illustrating a well-known fact about Canadian agriculture. It’s a high-stress industry, and it seems to be getting more stressful.
Global markets, wildfires, and other natural disasters, the weather, government regulations, and public opinion are just a few of the issues that can stress out producers. Still, these and many other factors are outside of producers’ control. However, with practice, your mindset is something you can learn to control. With the right approach, your mindset can help you increase productivity and resiliency, and increase your ability to manage hard times on the farm.
TOOLS YOU CAN USE
USE YOUR BREATH
Your breath can help you maintain calm and increase focus. When facing a challenge, try breathing deeply, focusing on expanding your diaphragm (pushing out your stomach) as you take a breath. Release your breath slowly and repeat five times.USE SELF-TALK
Your body reacts directly to what you think. To support a positive mindset, you need positive thoughts. Tell yourself you can do it. You can overcome any challenge. You’ve been through hard times before. You can adapt. You can’t avoid all difficult situations, but you can choose how you react to them. Choose a few words that describe the mindset you want (such as calm, capable, and in control) and repeat them to yourself over and over.USE A PRACTICE OF GRATITUDE
Taking a positive outlook on life can help you handle stress on the farm, and generally live a happier life. How you view your situation is a choice, and developing an attitude of gratitude helps support a positive focus. It takes practice though. Take a moment before you head into the barn or move onto a new task to consider and appreciate something you are grateful for in life. This will help you maintain a positive outlook as you shift your focus onto the task at hand. Practicing gratitude is like anything else – it gets easier the more you do it!USE ACCEPTANCE
If something is beyond your control, the most productive way to move forward is by accepting it. Accepting it doesn’t mean you accept the worst possible outcome. By using acceptance, you can instead start to focus on the problem and what you can do to limit the impacts it has on you and your agricultural operation. Try making “accept” a part of your self-talk. When you come up against an uncontrollable issue, try using deep breathing to pause, accept, and begin solving the problems it can cause.
RESOURCES FOR CHANGING YOUR MINDSET
- See page 26 of this mental health publication from Farm Credit Canada for an article about taking a proactive approach. Use proactive language in your self-talk.
- Listen to the “Use a Positive Mindset & Gratitude to Handle Daily Farm Stress” episode on the Rural Realities podcast with Penn Vieau.
- Check out “Healthy Thinking for Better Farming” and BBC’s well-being guide “Catch It, Check It, Change It” on how to change the negative thought cycle.
This resource has been adapted from resources including the Michigan State University Extension resource “How to Cultivate a Productive Mindset”