Healthy Farmers = Healthy Farmers = Healthy FarmsHealthy Farms

Canadian Agricultural Safety Canadian Agricultural Safety AssociationAssociation

November 17, 2010November 17, 2010

Farm & Rural StressFarm & Rural Stress

Farm and rural Farm and rural stress is a stress is a community issuecommunity issue. . It touches It touches everyone whose everyone whose life and livelihood life and livelihood is linked to the is linked to the land.land.

Stress and SafetyStress and Safety

• Farming is one of the 10 most stressful Farming is one of the 10 most stressful occupationsoccupations

• one of the three most dangerous (WHO)one of the three most dangerous (WHO)

• the combination of stress and daily work the combination of stress and daily work around powerful machinery in varying around powerful machinery in varying and unpredictable situations can lead to and unpredictable situations can lead to accidents.accidents.

Stress and SafetyStress and Safety

American Study on Workplace SafetyAmerican Study on Workplace Safety

• Unsafe behaviors account for 80% of workplace Unsafe behaviors account for 80% of workplace accidents and injuriesaccidents and injuries

• Unsafe behaviors cause more accidents than Unsafe behaviors cause more accidents than unsafe equipment or other environmental factorsunsafe equipment or other environmental factors

• Insurance claims for stress related accidents cost Insurance claims for stress related accidents cost nearly twice as much as non-stress related nearly twice as much as non-stress related accidentsaccidents

CASA Study on Canadian CASA Study on Canadian Farmers & Stress: Farmers & Stress:

HighlightsHighlights• National study on farm stress (CASA, 2005). National study on farm stress (CASA, 2005).

1100 farmers across Canada surveyed;1100 farmers across Canada surveyed;• 2/3 of Canadian farmers were feeling stressed. 2/3 of Canadian farmers were feeling stressed.

1 in 5 described themselves as “very stressed”; 1 in 5 described themselves as “very stressed”; • 3 main identified causes of stress: poor 3 main identified causes of stress: poor

harvests/production, government policies, and harvests/production, government policies, and farm finances;farm finances;

• Only 2 in 10 farmers had spoken with a health Only 2 in 10 farmers had spoken with a health care professional about stress and mental care professional about stress and mental health concerns;health concerns;

• Pride and farmers’ independence were most Pride and farmers’ independence were most cited reasons for not seeking help in dealing cited reasons for not seeking help in dealing with stress and mental health.with stress and mental health.

Obstacles to help-Obstacles to help-seeking behavior among seeking behavior among

producers:producers:•Concerns about their reputations Concerns about their reputations in the community;in the community;

•Lack of understanding about what Lack of understanding about what services exist and how they work;services exist and how they work;

•Being socialized to not seek help;Being socialized to not seek help;

•Lack of money;Lack of money;

•Feeling that one must solve one’s Feeling that one must solve one’s own problems;own problems;

•Fear of being perceived as lazy;Fear of being perceived as lazy;

•Fear of being perceived as Fear of being perceived as mentally ill;mentally ill;

•Distrust of helping professionals, Distrust of helping professionals, andand

•Pride.Pride.222. Randy R. Weigel, "The Personal Nature of Agriculture", Men Seeking Help. University of Wyoming

Manitoba Farm and Rural Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress LineStress Line

Farm Call Issues …Farm Call Issues …• FinancialFinancial• LegalLegal• CommunicationCommunication• Coping With StressCoping With Stress• RelationshipRelationship• Off-farm job/farmingOff-farm job/farming• Farm accidentsFarm accidents• Farm Farm

transfer/successiontransfer/succession

• LonelinessLoneliness• ChangeChange• Market pricesMarket prices• Input costsInput costs• Interest ratesInterest rates• Weather, pestsWeather, pests• BSE, PMU, Avian BSE, PMU, Avian

Flu, etc.Flu, etc.• Government policiesGovernment policies• Attitudes/valuesAttitudes/values

3 R’s Approach to Stress 3 R’s Approach to Stress Management and Farm Management and Farm

SafetySafety 1. Recognize 1. Recognize

-signs of stress and farm safety-signs of stress and farm safety

2. Reduce2. Reduce

-stress levels-stress levels

3. Resources3. Resources

-that help you cope with stress-that help you cope with stress

RecognizeRecognize

StressStress is a is a “normal “normal reaction to situations reaction to situations that are perceived to that are perceived to be challenges or be challenges or threats”threats”

It is our It is our reaction reaction to to events, not the events, not the events themselves, events themselves, that cause stress.that cause stress.

Signs of Stress

Signs of Signs of StressStress

Reduce Stress by:Reduce Stress by:

• EatEating nutritious foods daily.ing nutritious foods daily.

• TalkTalking with family and friends.ing with family and friends.

• Taking time to Taking time to relaxrelax every day.every day.

• Doing aerobic Doing aerobic exerciseexercise three three times a week.times a week.

Balancing ActBalancing Act

• I try to take one day at a time … but lately I try to take one day at a time … but lately several days have attacked me at once…several days have attacked me at once…

Resources that helpResources that help

• YouYou•““know thyself”know thyself”

• FamilyFamily•Healthy relationships helpHealthy relationships help

• CommunityCommunity•You are not aloneYou are not alone

• Helpers/SupportsHelpers/Supports•Who can I talk to?Who can I talk to?

What “YOU” can do?What “YOU” can do?

• Think about the things that stress you out Think about the things that stress you out (write them down if you have to). Which of (write them down if you have to). Which of these are within your control? Which are these are within your control? Which are not?not?

• Learn to accept the things you cannot Learn to accept the things you cannot change (Serenity Prayer). change (Serenity Prayer).

• Break tasks down into manageable pieces Break tasks down into manageable pieces and set priorities. Learn how to say no and set priorities. Learn how to say no sometimes!sometimes!

• Balance work and play, especially on the Balance work and play, especially on the farm where home and work are so farm where home and work are so connected;connected;

What “YOU” can do?What “YOU” can do?

• Develop a positive attitude (“He who Develop a positive attitude (“He who has a why to live can bear almost any has a why to live can bear almost any how” – concentration camp survivor)how” – concentration camp survivor)

• Laugh! Children laugh an average of Laugh! Children laugh an average of 400 times/day. As adults this 400 times/day. As adults this decreases to approx. 15 laughs per decreases to approx. 15 laughs per day.day.

• Listen to your body: eat well, get Listen to your body: eat well, get enough sleep and exercise.enough sleep and exercise.

ResourcesResources

• Family/CommunityFamily/Community

•Relationships provide us with Relationships provide us with identity, purpose and direction. In identity, purpose and direction. In essence, relationships and essence, relationships and therefore community is a life therefore community is a life giving, life defining, life nurturing giving, life defining, life nurturing process.process.

Identify Your Identify Your SupportsSupports

Friends, Family, Neighbors, Friends, Family, Neighbors,

Co-workers, Doctor, Co-workers, Doctor, Pharmacist, Clergy, Mental Pharmacist, Clergy, Mental Health Worker, Counsellor, Health Worker, Counsellor,

Helplines, Other…Helplines, Other…

On-line ResourcesOn-line Resources

• www.ruralstress.cawww.ruralstress.ca• www.reasontolive.cawww.reasontolive.ca• www.de-stress.cawww.de-stress.ca• www.depression.mb.cwww.depression.mb.c

aa

The Importance of Stress The Importance of Stress ManagementManagement

• You’re worth it!You’re worth it!• Your family, friends, and community Your family, friends, and community

will benefit. will benefit. • Your business will benefit. Your business will benefit. • Your life will benefit!Your life will benefit!

Thank youThank youGerry FriesenGerry Friesen

Signature MediationSignature Mediationwww.signaturemediation.cawww.signaturemediation.ca

Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress LineLine

www.ruralstress.ca www.ruralstress.ca