By Emily Krekelberg
U of M Extension Educator,
Farm Safety and Health
Farmers have always had to cope with a long list of stressors. Now more than ever, it is critical that we think about and discuss the need for mental and overall well-being in farming and across agriculture as a whole.
A key to health and wellness is intentional well-being. Think of your overall well-being as a three-legged stool. The seat represents you and the legs represent your physical, mental, and emotional health. Your physical health is the general well-being of your body. This includes feeling rested and energized, being able-bodied, and infrequent sickness. Some ways to take care of your physical health include sleeping 7-9 hours each night, eating balanced meals and snacks, and being physically active.
Mental health and emotional health can be a little tricky to tell apart, but think of them like a tag team. Mental health refers to your ability to process information. Emotional health refers to your ability to express feelings which are based upon the information you have processed. Mental health is related to cognitive function, and mental wellness ensures we are processing the world around us properly. To care for our mental health, it’s important we give our brain a break from work, have a positive mindset, and remember to allow ourselves to put ourselves first.
Emotional health is closely tied to our social connections. The way we most commonly express our feelings is through communication with others. Farmers are often isolated and COVID-19 has isolated us even more. Being unable to share our thoughts and feelings can lead to additional stress and poor mental health. Maintaining social connectedness with friends, family, and colleagues is critical to our emotional health.
Back to the stool, we need to attend to all three legs equally in order to ensure we are properly supported. If you neglect one area, imagine cutting an inch off of one of the legs. You’ll still be upright, but it will be uncomfortable and more difficult to support. When one area of our wellbeing is neglected, it impacts the other two. Being overwhelmed by stress can lead to poor sleep or bad eating habits. Being physically injured can lead to feelings of depression. Being disconnected from others and unable to share our feelings can challenge our mental and physical health.
It all works together as a system; taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional health ensures overall health – in farming and beyond.
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