This year, Mental Health Awareness Week runs from September 26 to October 2, and the theme is ‘Reconnect – with the people and places that lift you up’. Over the course of the week, Farmers Weekly will be sharing a series of articles to align with this theme, to enhance your wellbeing – hei pikinga waiora.
Kiwi farmers have a reputation for taking better care of their animals than they do themselves – there’s always something on-farm that needs attention and downtime often gets reprioritised.
So to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, Taranaki dairy farmer Kane Brisco, who is passionate about the importance of farmer wellbeing, shares some timely advice on how farmers could take care of themselves.
Reflecting on his own career, Kane says he went through some challenging times as a sharemilker but turned things around and rekindled his passion for farming, and life, by making some simple changes to his lifestyle and approach to dealing with stress.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. I lost my passion for farming, and got close to walking away from it.”
To stay on top of his game on the farm, getting fit and eating well are immensely important for Kane.
He says he’s rebuilt his love for farming through boxing, and now he has an on-farm gym and uses farm equipment like tyres and posts as part of his fitness routine.
“Whether it’s crossfit, running or pilates, you’ll find your passion,” he says.
In terms of eating well, Kane says that was the next important step he took after getting fit to help him stay well.
Farmers know that ensuring cows are getting the right nutrition is crucial to achieving good body condition and being highly productive, and it’s no different for the farmer.
Kane also stressed the importance of getting off the farm whenever it’s possible.
“Time out with family to do things you enjoy, and getting off the farm, is really important to relax,” says Kane.
“Balancing commitments to the farm, family and yourself isn’t easy, and you have to keep working at it.”
Another important tip was to reframe how we see challenges as farmers, and he says how we react and deal with challenges has a big impact on stress levels.
“Instead of getting angry when something doesn’t go the way I want it to, I think about what I want to achieve longer-term and then can break down how I want to get there. That means you switch from thinking negatively to problem solving and developing constructive ideas.”
And last but not least, he stressed the importance of knowing that it’s okay to say you’re not okay, and he encourages farmers to be open about the pressures they feel.
“Sharing how you’re feeling encourages other people in the farm team to speak up when they’re feeling stressed. That helps everyone better address issues when they come up.”
Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:
RURAL SUPPORT TRUST: 0800 RURAL HELP
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
LIFELINE: 0800 543 354
NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737
SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666
YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234
