Extension offers mental health tips for farmers, farm families facing unique stressors

Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

·        Farmers face uncertainty with weather, economic conditions

·        Pay attention to changes in behavior, physical stress signals

·        Exercise, regular medical checkups, emotional connection important for managing stress

LITTLE ROCK — With the uncertainties of weather and global economics, compounded by geographic isolation, farmers and their families are often immersed in high-stress situations that people in other walks of life don’t understand.

“When you’re a farmer, a lot of the typical advice that is given to nonfarmers for managing stress isn’t applicable,” said Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“You can’t just take a vacation. You can’t just get a different job. You’re at the mercy of the growing season and the calendar,” Schrick said. “For people who go into agriculture, it’s a calling just like anything else. And often, what is suggested to these folks is to just quit or leave this behind, and that’s not really an option.”

Schrick said it’s important for farmers and their families to seek connection with friends — and mental health professionals — who understand the world of agriculture.

“I hear that there is sometimes a disconnect between well-meaning family and friends, and with professionals, who are not familiar with the culture,” Schrick said. “That can be an additional stressor: constantly having to explain why you can’t just go away for the weekend. Try to seek someone out who understands the agriculture world, because if they don’t, they’re likely not going to be as helpful.”

In addition to climate and economic uncertainty, Schrick said “isolation is a major factor for farmers.”

“Often, farmers experience geographic distance from their peers,” Schrick said. “You’re in a smaller community to begin with, and in very rural areas, farmers live even outside of that community. So, everything takes longer, and you have to go further to do everything. This adds up in gas costs, the time it takes away from work you could be doing on the farm and the toll this can take on farmers and their families emotionally — it can get lonely.”

With many factors beyond farmers’ control, Schrick said it’s important to “identify your major stressor and then look at all of the available resources to make decisions based on what you can utilize.”

Schrick said the following steps can help break down that process:

·        Make as much of an exhaustive list of your resources as you can. Write all of them down so you can see the options in front of you. Especially when managing things like finances, it can be helpful to see all of your avenues laid out. Even if you’ve used a resource before, or never considered using it, include those too.

·        Assess all the options by gathering relevant information and discussing it with someone you trust. Even if they don’t have a say in the final decision, a trusted friend or family member can be a great sounding board.

·        Be open to trying something new. For example, getting a professional to look at the books can be incredibly helpful. You don’t have to hire them full time but paying for an hour or two of their time to help organize things can make a big difference.

·        Use your extension connections — not just your county agriculture agent, but also your family and consumer sciences agent. They can help you brainstorm new ways to manage your family’s home budget or market your business to a new audience.

Schrick said a crucial warning sign for stress becoming difficult to manage is changes in a person’s behavior.

“If someone is not acting like themselves — such as sleeping a lot or not at all or eating a lot or eating very little — any change from their normal self, that’s what you need to pay attention to,” Schrick said. “Watch out for each other and pay attention to these changes. If you notice your friend is having to refill the beer fridge more frequently or refill their pain medications sooner than in the past, it doesn’t hurt to ask them about it.”

Farmers should also be aware of “what their bodies feel like when they’re stressed,” Schrick said. “People who have a tendency to be self-sufficient, like farmers, might not notice how things are affecting them because they’re used to feeling stressed. But maybe your stomach has been hurting a lot, or you’ve been having more frequent and worse headaches, or having a really hard time managing your diabetes lately, when it’s been fine before.

“Chronic stress does truly damaging things to the body, so if you can take a breath and notice, ‘Wow, this isn’t just a normal feeling,’ that can go a long way to preventing things from getting worse,” Schrick said.

Physical and emotional symptoms of stress can include:

·        Back or neck muscles tense and aching
·        Breathing short or labored
        Low energy and body fatigue, tiredness
·        Difficulty with sleep
·        Getting angry easily
·        Increased use of alcohol or drugs
·        Anxiety, panic feelings
·        Withdrawal, isolation

Relationship symptoms of stress can include:

·        Communication difficulties
·        Conflict with family members
·        Verbal or physical outbreaks
·        Lack of satisfaction
·        Strained interactions

Speak up, help others

Schrick said she was recently part of a panel that focused on farmers’ mental health, and several attendees agreed that one person speaking up about their issues can often trigger this same admission from their peers. By recognizing and sharing one’s own struggles, finding empathy and understanding within your community can be the first step to managing this stress.

“One of the things that came up multiple times was how one person having the courage to admit that they’re struggling can start a snowball of people feeling more comfortable to share their own struggles,” Schrick said. “If someone is willing to be the first person to say, ‘Y’all, this is hard,’ everybody else can say so, too.”

For more information about farm stress management and extension resources, visit the Farm Stress page on the Cooperative Extension Service website or contact your local county family and consumer sciences agent for mental health programming.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.