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An important topic to be discussed
Mental health is a very important topic and has recently begun to be more discussed in the media.
What most people don’t realise is that for farmers, mental health can be even more challenging considering the type of work they do.
In Ireland, we lose more farmers to suicide than for accidents. The numbers are frightening, on average, 26 farmers are lost to suicide every year in Ireland and in the UK more than one farmer a week takes their own life.
Challenges
Farmers face a lot of challenges every day such as stress, financial worries, increased regulations, unpredictable weather, disease outbreaks and long working hours. The fact that it can be a very lonesome work doesn’t help either.
It is widely reported that poor mental health can also be a risk factor for farming accidents, when you can’t focus on the job as you should, it has an impact on your judgement.
Normalising the conversation
By normalising the conversation about mental health issues and how dangerous it can be, we hope that more farmers learn that there is a massive support network available that can help in time of crisis.
It is important that all farmers know that they can count on other people and that they can reach out for help when they notice they are not feeling well. You are not alone and it’s important you always have that in mind.
Farm Safety
As we all know farm safety is something every farmer pays attention to, but did you know that taking care of your Mental Health is also a way of taking care of the safety on your farm?
To make sure you are also taking care of your mental health, here are a few tips for you:
- Exercise: It is very important for your general health that you exercise. When we exercise our brain releases endorphin which is known as ‘the happiness hormone’
- Healthy Diet: a healthy diet is very important for a better mental health, it will help you have more energy to do all your daily activities.
- Sleep: having a full night of sleep is crucial for a better physical and mental health. Farmers tend to sleep less hours than other professions due to having to check on cattle and staring on the farm work early. Our Moocall Calving Sensor can be very helpful during calving season when most farmers tend to wake up every hour to check on cows. Just attach the device on the cow’s tail and have a good nights sleep, we will send you a SMS message when your cow starts to calve.
- Talk: it is important that you have your catch up with friends, try to have a cup of tea with friends at least once a week to clear your head.
- Be honest: be honest with yourself, stop for a moment to just breathe, be present and ask yourself if you are feeling ok.
- Ask: ask your friends and colleagues how they are doing, if they are really ok and if they want to talk. Ask a second time. Sometimes we say ‘I’m grand’ when we are not, so take time to really listen to people you care. Ask for help if you think that dealing with things by yourself might be too heavy for you at the moment.
Conclusion
Everything has a solution, even if you still cannot see it at the present moment. If you are struggling, remember that you can always have a quiet chat with your feed rep, bank manager or farm advisor. What happened is in the past and you cannot change it, but you can focus on the present moment and do the right thing so build a better future.
Helplines
Here are a few helplines that might be useful for you when things get a bit too challenging. Don’t hesitate to contact them, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Call 999 or 112 if you or someone you know is about to harm themselves or someone else.
Samaritans – Free 24 hour listening service for anyone in distress. FreePhone: 116 123
Email – jo@samaritans.org
