Chris Bennett: Let’s think differently about mental health
Chris Bennett © Johnny Houston People love to talk about their problems, and farmers are no exception. However, there is one problem we all struggle to talk about, and that is our mental health.
It is little wonder that mental health is a big problem in agriculture, where two of the biggest influences of success are completely out of our control – weather and commodity prices.
See also: Chris Bennett – feel no guilt to be off-farm to exercise
About the author
Doug Avery, New Zealand farmer and author of The Resilient Farmer, talks about our “circle of influence”.
He advocates not wasting energy worrying about things that are out of our control and instead focusing on the things we can influence.
While we can’t control the weather, we can control how we respond to it and how we manage our land to cope with it.
By focusing on the things within our circle of influence, we can remove the feeling of helplessness.
Here in New Zealand the problems surrounding mental health in agriculture are as concerning as they are in the UK.
The Kiwi farmer is traditionally portrayed as being a strong and resilient type. The “can-do” attitude requires farmers to be able to turn their hands to anything, never asking for help.
This idyllic image makes it very difficult when it comes to opening up and seeking support.
Combined with the fact that one week we are heroes – essential workers feeding the nation – then the next week we’re polluting waterways, killing bees and degrading the environment, it is easy to understand how stress can build up and overwhelm a farmer.
When I got kicked last week playing football, I spent the next few days showing off the bruise that spread across my leg like a badge of honour.
Sadly, when it comes to our mental health we tend to hide the symptoms and treat them as if they are a weakness. This stigma needs to be broken.
Mental illness is exactly that – an illness, and it requires treatment just like any other illness.
Thankfully, there are a vast array of farming charities across the UK ready to help: Yellow Wellies, the Farming Community Network, Yana, The DPJ Foundation and Rabi, to name a few. Talking to anybody, whoever it is, is a great start.