Find Support this World Mental Health Day
This year, World Mental Health Day focuses on mental health in the workplace which is particularly important for RSPCA Assured farmers and others working in the agriculture industry.
Being a farmer involves long hours of working alone, and when the workplace (the farm) is also your home, it makes avoiding stress, sharing problems or leaving the job behind to take a mental break at the end of the day extremely difficult.
Training to support farmers
One of our assessors has recently begun training to support farmers on the Farming Community Network (FCN) helpline. We caught up with her to talk about the resources available to farmers, and why it is so important for all of us to reach out if we need support.
She told us: “At RSPCA Assured, we work with farmers who genuinely care about their animals. I often think about the stresses of my daily life with a child, husband and two dogs, and think ‘What would it be like if I had a few hundred or even thousands more animals to care for as well?’
Hard to switch off
“That’s what it’s like for our farmers. They are always thinking about the needs of their animals and it’s tough to switch off and leave the job behind. That’s before you even think about other parts of life that need attention, like raising children, making time for relationships and managing money.”
Farming challenges
“Then you add in geographical factors, like remoteness and the lack of community support available in some places. Farmers are also affected by environmental issues such as flooding or drought and devastating animal diseases like avian influenza, blue tongue and African swine fever.”
Always reach out for help
“No day is the same and farmers face challenges every day. It’s important they know they are not alone and that there is support out there for everyone. I always say happy farmer, happy farm and you can feel that difference when you visit.
It’s always better to reach out if you find your mental health is suffering. There are people and organisations that want to help and asking for support is the first step to feeling better. It is true for farmers and office workers alike.”
About the author
Jodie - Website Manager
Jodie is RSPCA Assured's Website Manager.