Reading Time: 6 minutes Canadian winters on the farm can be tough at the best of times. The dark and the cold and the isolation can leave anyone feeling down. And this winter, of course, we also have the added stresses and restrictions of a global pandemic to make us feel battle-weary and burned out. The good news is […] Read more
How to cope in the long months ahead
Smart, healthful and fun tips for coping with winter and a global pandemic
The many sides of grief
Grief can be caused by many kinds of loss. Here’s why it’s so important to recognize that
Reading Time: 4 minutes We know that grief is a natural response when a loved one dies. What we may not realize, though, is that we may also grieve, sometimes for years, from non-death losses too. Losing the family farm, getting divorced, living with a debilitating illness, being estranged from one’s child, the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic… all […] Read more
Find time for self-care
If it seems you haven’t a moment for your physical and mental health, read this
Reading Time: 5 minutes We all read the headlines. We know that self-care can make it easier to cope with high levels of stress. But too often, we feel we are already stretched so thin, it would only make matters worse if we stopped what needs doing and spent any time on self-care. To get some tips and tools […] Read more
Report links business management, mental health of farmers
Farm women, young farmers report higher levels of stress, difficulties coping
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ottawa — A new report from Farm Management Canada (FMC) calls for action after determining 75 per cent of Canadian farmers reported being moderately to highly stressed about unpredictable interference, workload pressure and financial pressures. But how a farmer plans his or her business — and associated risks — can help lower that statistic. The […] Read more
Make self-care your priority
Actually, you do have time to take care of yourself, especially with these incentives
Reading Time: 5 minutes Grain farmers Jennifer and Michael Doelman are making self-care a priority in 2020. Years of hard work, sleepless nights caring for young children, and a stressful farm succession process have left the Renfrew, Ont. couple suffering from burnout. The couple love their work but have been stretched too thin giving to farm, family and community. […] Read more
Alone on the farm, or lonely?
Farm life can be more isolating and more challenging than ever, making it even more important to ask yourself these questions
Reading Time: 5 minutes Christi Friesen has learned to recognize signs that she’s heading into a spiral of negative thinking — and it usually happens when she’s pulling 18-hour days on the tractor on her Peace River farm in Alberta. “When you’re out in the boondocks, your closest neighbour is a half-mile away and you’re working alone and you’re […] Read more
Coping with the winter months
“It’s okay not to be okay,” says therapist Deborah Vanberkel. All of us are subject to the winter blahs and cabin fever
Reading Time: 6 minutes As if farming wasn’t already stressful enough, Canadian winters bring additional challenges. Frozen water lines, icy driveways and tractors that won’t start are just a few of the many physical challenges that farmers must contend with during our harsh winters. On top of that, when the short days of winter arrive, some of us will […] Read more
Admitting you have a mental health problem
Learn to look in the mirror… really look. Dealing with stress and anxiety may never be easy, but it helps if you’re alert for these warning signs
Reading Time: 6 minutes For several years, Wayne Black couldn’t see what was happening. He drove himself to be better as a farmer and then, when he became a sales manager at a central Ontario farm input dealership, he was always striving for the highest results for his customers. But early in 2018, he began to notice that he […] Read more
Struggling on the farm
You’re already trained for first aid on the farm. But what about mental illness?
Reading Time: 8 minutes By now, most people involved in agriculture have heard something about depression and anxiety disorders. Whether it’s been through the survey of farmer mental health, started in 2015 and highlighted in 2018, or through the efforts of groups like Do More Ag, word has spread. Now, it’s important that this awareness gets translated into action, […] Read more
Reaching out
Your neighbour is diagnosed with depression. What do you say next time you meet?
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to talking about mental health, there’s a shift taking place in agriculture. Producers are bravely sharing their stories at farm meetings and on social media. Corporations and organizations are creating supportive resources. All this is helping to reduce the stigma around mental health. With the incredibly high levels of stress farmers face […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
