The Resilient Farmer
Farmers focus on the health of their
land
machinery
stock
But the fourth leg to a successful dairy business is the wellbeing of
farmers and farm workers
The pressures of farming are not small…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nutrient Limitations
Water Limitations
Health & Safety regulations
Volatile milk price
Volatile weather
Intense workload
High debt levels
High staff turnover
Isolation
Negative public perceptions
Farming in a fishbowl
Therefore, we must be RESILIENT
Definition of Resilience
Resilience is often described as a personal quality
that predisposes individuals to bounce back in the
face of challenge or loss. Resilient leaders,
however, do more than bounce back—they
bounce forward.
Resilience means…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Understanding change and constantly learning
Budgeting well when cash flow is good
Knowing all critical indicators
Spending time on only what’s important
Celebrating wins
Regularly cultivating networks
Where do we get the strength to do this?
We keep ourselves well
-
Resilient leaders make time for activities that revitalise them
-
Physically
Emotionally
Spiritually
Intellectually
- Personal renewal generates the energy needed to be sharp in the
face of challenges and change.
World Health Organisation Definition of
WELLNESS
A state of well-being in which the individual
realises his or her own abilities, copes with
the normal stresses of life, works
productively and fruitfully and makes a
contribution to his or her community
Wellness is directly related to stress
• Good Stress (Eustress): Fosters challenge and motivation
• Excessive Stress: Mostly creates negative feelings
• Burnout: Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion
caused by prolonged excessive stress.
• Mental Illness: Disorganisation of the mind, and emotions
so that normal functioning is impaired.
• Suicidal: The lack of will to live
Prolonged stress causes…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High blood pressure
Depression
Anxiety
Heart Disease
A weakened immune system
Body aches and joint weakness
Inability to concentrate or complete tasks
Inability to make decisions
Inability to stick to a plan
Let’s look at what we’re seeing with farmers…
Findings- Phase One- 2011-2013
1. DairyNZ Health Pitstop Data
•
•
•
•
•
14% farmers reported high/very high total burnt out scores
32% reported pain that interfered with their work (backs, knees, shoulders)
57% male farmers have high blood pressure
41% all farmers have high cholesterol (referred to GP)
Disease (cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory) all highest for rural
populations
2. Suicide Statistics (Walker, 2012; Tipples and Greenhalgh, 2012)
•
•
•
•
25 rural deaths per year (19.5/100000, 50% higher than urban population)
Estimated 20-180 attempted suicides/yr
No. 2 behind motor vehicle related deaths, twice that of farm vehicle deaths
Peaks in spring (August) and Autumn (Feb-May)
Farmer Survey
(Nielson 2014)
• Farmers are 31% more concerned about the impact of stress on
their health than the general population
• 23% more farmers compared to the general population worry
about work all the time
• 67% more farmers compared to the general population agree
that “life is a constant struggle”… 67% more!
Farmer Leaders’ Thoughts
(collected at Dairy Environment Leader’s Forum 9/12/2014)
As a group, they saw the toughest pressures as…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Workload
Financial
Regulations/Limitations
Outside Perception
What did they think were driving these?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Workload- Lack of investment into people and time management
Financial- Making ill informed decisions/unaware of the skills needed to run a farm
business successfully
Regulations/Limitations- Government/law/corporate responsibility
Outside Perception- Media
Wrap up the situation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Too much stress can cause mental illness
We/farmers have more than a normal amount of stress
This stress can be good and help us to thrive IF we are resilient
We/farmers are concerned about our stress levels
We are presenting with mental and physical illnesses
The high pressures of farming are not going to go away
What is the solution?
Wellbeing/Resilience can be improved
Lyubomirsky, Sonja; Sheldon, Kennon M.; Schkade, David
(2005) Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable
change. Review of General Psychology, Vol 9(2), 111-131
 50% Genetics
 10% What happens to you
 40% how you choose to
deal with it
Wellness takes TIME
“He who does not make time for wellness will eventually be forced to
take time for illness.”
Illness in the “working” world= Burnout
Burnout=The experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished
interest due to the difficulty of managing multiple responsibilities.
Often leads to cynicism and eventually to physical and mental
breakdown.
The Burnout Scale
1- Thriving- Surrounded by successes, alert, active, positive,
excited about possibilities, rarely sick, no need for coffee or
alcohol.
2- Achieving- On top of things and motivated but tired and/or
forgetful, get the flu a few times a year, need pick me ups a few
times a week.
3. Surviving- Managing most things but dropping a few balls, often
disinterested, irritable, and rely on caffeine and or alcohol daily.
4. Burning Out- Not keeping up with responsibilities,
overwhelmed, lacking confidence, belligerent, relationships
failing, sick a lot.
5. Burnt Out- Have lost mobility and/or grip on reality
Here is what works …
(aligned with MHF principles based on UK Foresight project)
When you know something is wrong…
If you think someone is on their way to burnout or depression…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be on their side- let them talk!
Show understanding and sympathy
Don’t judge them
Avoid offering advice
Avoid making comparisons
Don’t try to minimise their pain or act like it’s not a big deal
If you are worried someone may already be depressed…
•
•
Encourage them to speak to their health practitioner
Encourage them to talk to someone about it. These numbers are good…
•Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
•Depression helpline 0800 111 757
If you are worried someone is suicidal…
•
•
Get professional help. Do everything in your power to get a suicidal person the help he or she
needs. Call a crisis line for advice and referrals. Encourage the person to see a mental health
professional, help locate a treatment facility, or take them to a doctor's appointment.
These are the numbers to call…
•Samaritans 0800 726 666
•Lifeline 0800 543 354
Key Messages
•
•
•
•
Farming is stressful and these stresses aren’t going away
Therefore we must learn to be resilient and sharp
This means we must keep ourselves well
To keep well we must…
–
–
–
–
–
Be safe and have a plan
Rest and Take Notice
Be Active and Eat Well
Keep Learning
Connect and Give
• We also need to help each other stay well by being
aware and helping when needed