Links: Challenging Times

Early Symptoms of Farm Stress

Stress and Farming

Farming is one of the most stressful occupations. In fact, stress is such a common part of farming that often it is either taken for granted or ignored.

Farm stress arises from:

 

Dangers of Stress

The risks of unaddressed or ignored stress are serious. Perpetual muscle tension and unsuccessful attempts to relieve stress can result in:

 

The good news is that there are several symptoms of stress which, once identified, may be addressed in order to reduce the negative effects of stress.

By recognizing the early symptoms of stress you and your family can begin to improve your health and support healthy relationships.

 

Stress Symptoms

Physical Symptoms:

Emotional Symptoms:

Behavioral Symptoms:

Relationship Symptoms:

Managing Stress

Stress is a natural reaction to every-day demands, helping us to operate at peak performance.

However, when ignored or left unaddressed, stress presents real risks to both physical and mental health. Recognizing the early warning signs of stress is the first step in reducing stress.

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Management of Farm Stress

Modern farming is stressful, and that is no laughing matter. Weather concerns, financial worries, and conflict are frequent daily farming stressors. Daily stress is inevitable, but seasonal stress or unexpected stressful events may overtax already exhausted resources.

Everyone experiences stress, and the key to stress management is to find a release for the physical tension. Unrelieved tension results in health problems, emotional discord and relationship dissatisfaction.

Scheduling stress management time into your busy schedule will allow you to work more efficiently and productively, and to be less reactive when stressful situations arise.

However, when ignored or left unaddressed, stress presents real risks to both physical and mental health. Recognizing the early warning signs of stress is the first step in reducing stress.

Common Symptoms of Stress

 

Stress Management Tips

Learn the early warning signs of stress, When you recognize you are stressed, try toidentify and reduce stressors. Accept those stressors you cannot change.

Shift from worrying to problem solving. Make daily, yearly, and long-term business plans. List priorities, set realistic goals, make and maintain a schedule, and don't procrastinate. Learn to say "no" to things which hinder your goals.

Be flexible when unexpected events occur. Choose the "relax response" rather than the "stress response." Take three deep breaths or count to 10. Take a break and shake your limbs to release tension.

Use clear communication. Listening skills are just as important as language skills. Use negotiation during conflict.

Balance work and play. Make weekly time to relax and laugh, and daily time for a few minutes for yourself. Take up a hobby, or learn meditation.

Take care of your body. Exercise. Eat healthily. Get adequate sleep. Avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Think positive thoughts.

Celebrate holidays and family events. A birthday party or family dinner provides a needed break from daily stress.

Talk with others. Don't keep feelings or concerns bottled up inside you. Friends, family, clergy can be good listeners, and often feel good knowing you can talk to them. Join or start a support group.

Get help when needed. Sometimes a neutral third party or a trained counselor can help you get through tough times, helping you take control of your stress.

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Stress Management

by Ruth A. Maltz, CSW, NY FarmNet Personal Consultant

 

Stress is the spice of life, it adds energy and gets us going. But too much stress can affect your physical and mental well-being, just as too much spice can led to heartburn and stomach upset.

Stress signals:

  1. Feelings : anxiety, irritability, moodiness, fear, embarrassment.
  2. Thoughts: self criticism, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, forgetfulness, or mental disorganization, preoccupation with the future, repetitive thoughts of " if only...?" or" what if ... ?", and a recurring fear of failure.
  3. Behavior: "snapping" at friends and family, acting impulsively, crying , nervous laughter, teeth grinding or jaw clenching, increased smoking, alcohol or other drug use, being prone to more accidents, increased or decreased appetite.
  4. Physical: sleep disturbances ( too much, too little, early waking, can't fall asleep) tight muscles, headaches, cold or sweaty hands, back or neck problems, fatigue, stomach problems, rapid breathing or heart pounding, trembling, dry mouth, increased susceptibility to colds and other infections.

Stress Management Tips

  1. Take a deep breath! If your chest feels tight, you may be holding your breath with out being aware of it. Shallow breathing brings in less oxygen which increases muscle tension, headaches and an anxious uptight feeling. When you feel uptight, try to slow your breathing and breathe more deeply. Breathe slowly through your nose to a count of five, hold to a count of five and blow out slowly through pursed lips as if you are blowing up a balloon. Try to inhale enough so that your belly rises and falls.
  2. Manage Time! This is hard to do when you look around and see all there is to be done to get back to where you were before the storm. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Take the time to sit down and make a list of what is to be done. Think about what is most important and do those first. If there is something you find particularly hard to face, tackle it early in the day and get it over with. Putting it off will just increase your anxiety. Be sure to cross off the list, the things you have accomplished and give your self credit for them. Your are coping with a very difficult situation. Resist the temptation to tackle too much. We all tend to underestimate how long things will take. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Bible says that even the Lord rested. You must schedule breaks. We are human and trying to do too much leads to accidents and burnout. Tomorrow is another day.
  3. Connect With Others! Work as a team, it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, and offering help to a friend or neighbor benefits all concerned.
  4. Talk It Out!" Bottled up" emotions increase stress. This is very hard for many hard working farmers, especially men, to do. They are a self sufficient group, and are not comfortable talking about things like feelings. Sometimes a counselor or Clergy person can help you see things in a different light, or be aware of some resources that can help.
  5. Take A" Minute Vacation!" Imagine in your mind a comfortable scene from the past . Try to imagine all the sights and sounds and smells, and temperature, and touch of that special place. Take a minute and close your eyes and go back to that special place. Or try to change your mental channel by listening to relaxing music or reading a book. You need to recharge your battery.
  6. Monitor your Physical Comfort! Wear comfortable clothes that match the weather. If possible, dress in layers so that you can take off or put on things as the temperature changes. Try to stay dry, wet socks may seem like a bother to change but doing it is worth the time.
  7. Take Care of Your Body! Healthy eating and adequate sleep fuel the body. Avoid too much caffeine and sugar, as the temporary "high" they provide often ends in fatigue and a " crash" later.
  8. Laugh! It is truly the best medicine! Remember the old "MASH SHOW" on TV? What they call "gallows humor" can get us through a lot of hard times. Singing also helps, as does whistling a happy tune.
  9. Know your own limits! We all spend time and effort trying to control things that we have little or no power over. When in a stressful situation ask "Is this My Problem?" If it isn't leave it alone. If it is then ask "Can I resolve it now?" Once a problem is settled, leave it alone. Don't agonize over the decision, and try to accept situations you can't change. We can't control things like the weather and the behavior of others. We live in an imperfect world. It is frustrating waiting on lines for the bureaucracy to do paper work, in the middle of a crisis, but getting upset and stewing about it only puts more stress on you. Accept the things we can't change and use the time to read, or take one of those minute vacations (see#5), at least it will make the time pass more quickly and will help your stress level.
  10. Must you always be right? Other people do things other ways. Consider cooperation and compromise rather than confrontation. A little give and take on both sides may reduce the strain. When there has been a terrible loss we all need to grieve, and we all do that in our own way. What is important to one person may be trivial to another. Be accepting of the differences we see in our family and friends as they cope the best they can with a difficult situation.
  11. Have a good cry! There are positive chemicals in our tears and big boys and big girls do cry. Crying may relieve your anxiety and might even prevent a headache. However if you are crying every day and have difficulty stopping see your doctor as it may be a sign of depression.
  12. Avoid self Medication! Alcohol and other drugs may seem to offer temporary relief but they don't remove the cause of the stress. The behavior that results from being "under the influence" in the long run increases rather than decreasing the stress.
  13. Look For the Positive! In a crisis everything is covered with a black cloud of gloom. Try to take note of the little things. A glorious sunset, children's laughter, a friendly greeting, a bird singing, the friendly greeting from your dog, the warm soft feel of your cat's fur and it's soft purr, a good meal, the kindness of a friend, a discount or bargain you found on something you need, the sound of a hymn at church, the peaceful look of a sleeping child, etc. Accentuate the positive!

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