Addressing Mental Health In the Farming Industry

Breaking the Silence: Mental Health in the Farming Community

Get ready for an important discussion as we tackle the topic of mental health in farming, led by our guest blogger, Anna Truesdale. In this blog post, Anna starts a conversation about the challenges farmers face and offers practical advice for coping.

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Hello again folks! I’d like to start this with a little nod of appreciation to all the lovely people who got in touch to congratulate me on my first blog post. When I said Instagram is a community, I meant it, and it’s always so nice to have such kind words of encouragement sent my way!

Our Farm is Slowly Starting to Warm Up 

Anyway, it’s finally March, and the farm is (slowly) starting to warm up. Lambing is nearly finished and it’s been nice to finally get ewes and lambs out of the shed and into the fields. It’s amazing how much a little bit of sun around the farm can help lift your mood after what felt like the longest winter in the whole of eternity!

It’s a sensitive topic, but I actually wanted to use this month’s blog post to delve a little bit deeper into ‘moods’.

Mental health can be a difficult conversation, most of us struggle -  I know I certainly have – but often the ‘tough guy’ in us overrides our conscious desire to talk about how we’re feeling. This becomes a slippery slope in an already stressful industry, and it’s a chain of events that needs to be discussed more so that signs can be recognised and dealt with early. 

 

Mental Health Statistics in Farming 

The mental health statistics in farming are shocking. Every 7 days, one farmer in the UK dies by suicide. (In 2023, this was recorded as increasing to 3 people every week, according to  British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - BACP)

That’s a real life statistic, that’s a real life scenario.

That’s one husband, one wife, one mother, one father, one son, one daughter. One family waking up every week with one less person at the table for breakfast. It’s one parlour missing a milker, one lambing shed missing a shepherd, one tractor with an empty seat. 

 

Farming is a synonymously dangerous industry. We pay heed to Health and Safety daily, we don’t get too close to a bull, we never go near live cables, we get someone to hold a ladder when we climb up - but what do we do to look after our heads?

 

Daily Pressures and Worries in the Farming Industry

We face pressures on the farm every day - and it’s not the same pressure that you might get in a bustling 9-5 office. It’s the pressure of making decisions that could mean life or death for your animals or between profit and loss in your business.

It can be lonely, we can be overworked and we’re often at the mercy of outside forces, dictating year on year just how much all our hard work is actually worth.

 

Many Farmers said the weather was a big worry 

I recently asked folk what they felt were the biggest pressures in farming. It wasn’t surprising that a lot of people quoted ‘weather’ as a huge stressor in their daily lives. Worrying whether the sun will ever come out or if the ground will ever dry up. 

Unfortunately, the weather isn’t something we can change. Yes, we can do our part in minimising our environmental impact, slowing climate change and reducing the frequency or likelihood of extreme weather - but ultimately weather is out of our control. Learning to accept this is the hard part, and just knowing in the depths of winter that there will be a spring, can help.

 

Working with family can cause conflict 

Another frequent stressor (alongside money pressure and loneliness) was working with family. This is an area that can be extremely difficult to talk about because by opening up, it’s easy for more conflict to arise. “Working with my Dad, who doesn’t want to change things”, “pressure to work for no money at home”, “lack of respect – both ways”, “expectation to do everything” – are a few of the responses I received.

This is a subject area to which I have no magic answers, and I recognise that it's difficult because, as it’s family, it’s hard to get an opportunity to discuss concerns with anyone else. 

Communication is vital here, and it’s important that communication is respected. Perhaps, if you’re the younger generation, consider the sacrifices that the older generation have made to get the farm or the business to the point that it is today – it can be difficult for them to give up the reigns after having to hold on tightly for so many years.

And if you’re the older generation, consider the opportunity that the younger generation are asking for. Ultimately, we are the future and it’s encouraging when our ideas are valued by someone who, in our eyes, is a ‘Professional Farmer’. 

 

Mental Health Tips For Farmers 

As an industry, we’re exceptionally good at looking after livestock, but we know when it’s time to call the vet. We can recognise a field that needs fertiliser to get it growing, but we’re never scared to ask the agronomist. We know how to change a fuel filter, but don’t mind taking our tractors to the mechanic for a full service.

 We need to approach our mental health with the same common-sense attitude that we do in farming and so I’d like to share a few of the ways that folk suggested they dealt with pressure. This list is not extensive, and ultimately, dealing with YOUR mental health is something that will be personal to YOU.

 

1. Exercise 

Keeping active is a great way to de-stress and increase positive emotion. Farming is really physically demanding as it is, so relaxing outside of work with some light exercise could be a good option. Exercises like meditation and yoga are good for your mind and body and will help you relax. 

 

2. Time off and seeing non-farming friends

We all know that time off in farming is rare. Our animals often come first and the lambs won’t rear themselves. But it’s really important to try and take time for yourself. A top tip is: every weekend try and alternate working time between your family so that you can at least get a Saturday afternoon off now and then. 

 

3. Writing lists and doing the jobs you enjoy

Farming means we have a lot of jobs day in, day out. Having loads of jobs and tasks floating around in our heads can be really anxiety-inducing. But, the work won’t stop just because we feel a little overwhelmed. A great way to combat this is to write all your jobs down and prioritise them. There’s no better feeling than getting them done and ticking them off!

 

4. Going to Macra/Young Farmers

Macra has so many great benefits for young farmers. It encourages social connections between young people just starting out. There’s no better way to feel good than to make friends with people who have the same passions as you!

 

5. Talking to those who understand the pressures of farming

Sometimes it’s good to talk to people who understand you and have the same experiences as you. This allows you to realise that how you feel is perfectly normal. There are many communities offline and online that you can reach out to. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding like-minded individuals on social media (I talk about this here).

 

6. Turning off your phone for a while and do what you enjoy 

It’s good to stay connected, but too much can leave our heads whizzing. Now and then, it’s good to turn off your phone and just enjoy peace and quiet. I love baking, so for me, spending the day baking and enjoying it, is how I like to relax.

 

There’s No Shame In Struggling With Your Mental Health 

Just like asking for the vet, the agronomist or the mechanic, there’s no shame in asking for help with your mental health.

There’s so much more that could be said and I hope this post will help to start a conversation that never ends. Because mental health is important today, it’s important tomorrow, and every day after that. We’re a special bunch, us farmers -  we need to look out for each other. 

If you want to talk to someone:

• Rural Support NI – 0800 138 1678
• The Samaritans (ROI) 1850 60 90 90
• Farm Community Network - FarmWell https://farmwell.org.uk/

 Speak soon – Anna x

 

Explore More with Us

Thank you for joining us on this insightful journey into British farming. If you're inspired to learn more or support local agriculture, check out our other blog posts on this topic. 

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Anna Truesdale is a passionate fourth-generation dairy farmer from County Down in Northern Ireland. She holds a First-Class honours degree in Agricultural Technology from Queens University in Belfast, but her heart lies in the hands-on, feet-in-the-mud agriculture which she grew up in and still works in today. Through her online platform, she loves educating those with limited knowledge of farming, as well as sharing insights and promoting sustainable practices in the agricultural industry.