In all my years growing up on the farm, I don’t think I ever saw my parents, and especially my dad, stressed about farming. I don’t know whether it was because he was the ranch manager and not the owner that caused the lack of stress, or the fact that I don’t think he ever stressed about anything. His was that type of personality that just took events as they came. I have to say that apparently that characteristic is not one that he passed along to me. I stress about just about any and everything. Perhaps, that’s why I gravitate towards an awareness of stress in our lives and how to alleviate or mediate stress. It is also important to note that stress and mental health are more a part of our vernacular and not a social taboo as they once were.
Two to three weeks back, several MSU Extension specialists announced the beginning of an online “Montana Ag Producer Stress Resource Clearinghouse.” To me this is a fancy way of saying, it’s a website devoted to helping producers with stress and mental health. It’s located at https://msuextension.org/wellness/stress-management or you can google Montana Ag Producer Stress Resource Clearinghouse. I’ve started to look over the different resources that are on the website and I wanted to describe it a bit to everyone. In these times of very real uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts each of us and our livelihoods differently and distinctly, it’s nice to know that there are resources out there that are designed to help producers. That being said, these resources at the website aren’t just for producers. They can apply to many, if not all of us in our own lives and occupations.
On the website, there are several topics that are covered. If you want to know what stress is and how it affects your physical or mental health, or watch a TED Talk about those things, there’s a link for that. There is a separate link for measuring your stress. I took this test and no surprise; it came back as moderately stressed. But, it’s a place to begin and gives you food for thought. Continuing on, if you want to know how to manage your stress, including self help like knowing what types of foods to be eating to have a healthy diet, or just as importantly, how to help others, follow that specific link. If you would like more information on mental health and more scholarly resources on that topic there are links to follow there too. There is a myriad of other resources on the website that I invite you to search through as you have the opportunity. These are important resources that are worth your time, either as a producer or in other livelihoods and circumstances.
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