Taking care in difficult times

We are all in this together

Farming and ranching have long been one of the more stressful and dangerous occupations. In addition to the physical demands in the field, there is something we don’t talk about enough and that is the emotional labour and demands of our industry. The constant worry about the animals in our care, crops, finances, family business and situations and factors outside of our control – like weather. Compound the already high stress of your day-to-day, with the adversity many producers are currently facing with drought – the build up can take its toll. 

It is our hope that as you read this you have the emotional support of family, friends, and industry peers to help you through these very difficult times. And when that is not enough, we hope you take a moment for yourself and take a close and conscious look at “My Dashboard” (below) to identify factors of stress that could be impacting your physical, mental, and emotional wellness or those you care about.  

Help is available

When it comes to mental health the term “Cowboy Up,” does not apply.

When you look at your internal dashboard, do you see all green lights? Are there any red lights tipping you towards overload and stress? If so, please know that help is available. Please view the following list of support lines if you or someone you know needs help;

*My Dashboard is reprinted with permission from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). To learn more about FCC wellness programs and resources please visit Wellness | FCC (fcc-fac.ca)

This article was first published in the September 2021 edition of ABP Magazine. Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.