Mental Wellbeing Checklist for Farmers

Here is  a quick self audit list for farmers to check their level of mental wellbeing. How do you score on the following? The last one is Doug Avery’s personal advice to farmers. To improve your wellbeing, try and take the time to actively to do all the following.

• Actively connect with people outside the farm – regularly meet new people via work or socially
• Give – Getting the satisfaction of give something, your time, knowledge or money expecting no reward.
• Take notice of your surroundings – Take time during each day to take note of and appreciate the little things in life, a new calf, spring flowers, fresh coffee, a hot shower.
• Keeping learning – actively seek to continually learn new things.
• Be active – Get out of the tractor cab, the milking parlour or from behind to computer screen and get some fresh air and exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming or working out.
• Do not personalise problems that are not yours and that you have no control over.