Staying Fit For Farming: Top Tips
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Farmers spend almost every waking hour - and then some - thinking about their farm. They worry about the health of their animals and their livestock and take immense pride over a good herd of cows or a great yield of crops. They watch for every sign of growth and nurture them with food and sunlight and water and everything else that they need to thrive. At the very first hint of something being wrong, they get to work on sorting it out and doing everything in their power to maintain the health and viability of crops and animals. They rely on and trust their instincts and gut feelings and pay attention to the small details that can be the difference between life and death, success and failure.
However, there is one thing that a significant number of farmers overlook: their own health and wellbeing. Yes, they are so incredibly focused on the animals in their care and making sure that their farm is working to optimum productivity and success that they neglect the niggling little pains. This might be because they can’t afford to take time off or skip a meal to get back out to work or forego sleep to sit up with the unwell sheep that is giving birth.
When it comes to ignoring signs that something is not quite right or taking steps to improve your overall health and wellbeing, it can be easy to say “oh, I’ll go and get it checked in a few days”. The problem is that a few days turns into a few weeks, and then it turns into a few months, and before you know it, it is something serious that cannot be quickly dealt with.
Here, we look at some of the things that you can do to make sure that you are physically and emotionally fit and healthy to run your farm as productively as you can.
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Prioritize tasks and plan your time
While every task is important on a farm, sometimes you need to know which tasks to prioritise and which tasks can be left a little longer. Your time and energy are not infinite, and you need to learn to choose what you are going to spend them on.
Try separating the tasks into different categories - perhaps daily ones, such as milking the cows and feeding the animals, seasonal ones such as calving and general ones, like maintenance of the farm vehicles. You know then which ones have to be done - the daily ones have to be done every day without fail. However, the other ones can be divided between days that you have the time or the energy and spread out so that you are not overwhelmed.
Make sure that you leave enough time to do all of the tasks that you have set yourself for the day and that you have incorporated time for breaks and meals - without these, you are going to hit burnout point very quickly. You also put yourself at more risk of illness, injury and making a mess of the task. You will also feel much more accomplished if you complete a fewer number of tasks rather than half-do lots of tasks.
Think about how you deal with stress
Because of the nature of farming, farmers are very susceptible to high levels of stress. After all, a failed crop can mean a huge drop in income and huge amounts of wasted time, energy and money. Research consistently shows us that it is in the top ten of most stressful and dangerous jobs.
Many farmers are driven to the profession and lifestyle because they generally like to work alone; they like to find ways of sorting out problems and feel like they are pretty hardy and tough. The problem is these can also make dealing with stress much more difficult: fewer people to turn to, no work colleagues, and a sense of failure if you can’t get on top of your feelings.
It is important to remember that reaching out to ask for help and admitting that you need support is actually the opposite of failure - it is what successful people do, and it is a sign of strength and courage. It’s really quite hard to do, but vital.
Signs of stress
Increased or loss of appetite
Mood swings
Inability to concentrate
Feelings tense and uptight
Headaches
Feeling anxious
Difficulty in sleeping
Being forgetful
Using alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism
If you are feeling stressed or anxious, as well as reaching out to friends and family and people in your network for support, as well as going to the doctors, there are some strategies you can put in place yourself to help you balance it a little better.
Exercise - farming is a very physical job, but increasing the level of exercise for your own enjoyment can help.
Sleep
Take time for yourself - perhaps a hot bubble bath at the end of a long day.
Prioritise tasks
Learn to say no
Eat well
Accept there are things that are always going to be out of your control.
Keep up with medical appointments
One of the best ways to keep on top of your health and make sure there is nothing lurking in the background is to keep up with medical appointments. Everyone should be going to the dentist for a checkup at least twice a year to ensure good oral health. You also should have regular hearing tests, especially as hearing loss is not always apparent until it is too late and eyesight checkups. You might be worried about wearing glasses if you are farming, but there are pairs out there for everyone - you can see the selection here.
Depending on your age and sex, there may be other medical appointments and routine checks you should be keeping to. These include mammograms, pap smears, bowel cancer and prostate cancer screening. You also should be having your cholesterol and blood pressure checked once a year at the very least; more so if you are experiencing any other health issues.
Eat healthily
One of the best ways to maintain health is by eating a healthy and balanced diet. This can be difficult when you are farming and out all hours and weather, but it is essential to make time to eat properly. A big bowl of warm oatmeal with chia seeds or a nut butter is a healthy, filling and watming start to the day. Or, opt for a big plate of grilled bacon and eggs for protein. Add some fruit and yogurt and you have a superb breakfast. For lunch, take a packed lunch out onto the farm if you don’t think you will get time to get back to the house to eat. A tub of rice, chicken breast and veg is portable, or invest in a hot food flask so you can have a hearty hot meal out in the yard or fields. Substitute chocolate and cookies for crackers and cheese, humous and vegetable crudites or homemade flapjacks made with honey or agave syrup. You need food that is going to fill you up and give you plenty of slow release energy. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water as well to keep you hydrated.
Sleep
Sleep is NOT for the weak. Sleep is something that our bodies need to give us strength to power through the days. Farmers often have to get up early to be able to do particular tasks, so it is important that you go to bed at a reasonable time to get enough sleep. Try turning off your phone or device at least an hour before you go to be, take a warm bath and have a warm drink to help you relax. Make sure the room is not too hot or cold, and have decent curtains or blinds up at the windows to minimise the light coming in. If you are a light sleeper, consider ear plugs - the countryside can be a very noisy place at night!
Get plenty of exercise
Traditionally, farming was an active and physically strenuous job, but these days, the advancement of technology and equipment such as tractors, milking machines, combine harvesters and so on has meant that a lot of the physical aspects of the job have been removed. It is importnat to make sure that you get enough exercise into your day. Get a fitness tracker watch so you can see how many steps you do and keep an eye on your pulse and heart rate - you can see if you can boost it!
Keeping yourself healthy and fit, both emotionally and physically is important when you are a farmer. Although an incredibly rewarding job, it is also a challebnging and often worry-inducing and isolating job. Follow these tips and you will find you work better and feel better.
