Farm Safety Association
Today's
farmer faces pressures that often seem too much to handle. They
range from financial problems, to bad weather, to simply too
much work!
While
you can not escape these pressures, there are ways of handling
the stresses they cause. This is important, because too much
stress can disrupt your family and do serious damage to your
health. If it gets out of control, stress can make it hard
to face day-to-day life, let alone the bigger problems.
Stress is
your reaction to something you consider a challenge or a threat.
Some situations -- a car accident, for example -- are stressful
for anyone. Others affect different people in different ways.
For instance, haggling over a price is very stress-producing
for some people, but enjoyable for others.
When
you are under stress, your body begins to 'gear up' for action.
This makes you stronger and more alert, at least in the short
term. In cases of extreme danger, this extra strength can
save your life. Other times, it can help you get through a
job or help you adjust to a major change, like the arrival
of a new child.
Occasional
stress is a natural part of life. However, when it gets out
of control, it can become very harmful. Often, a build-up of
stress involves a problem that stays with you for months, or
even years. Financial pressure is a prime example. Other times,
it might be something beyond your control, like a stretch of
bad weather. Still another time, it could be a problem that
just seems too big to handle.
In all
of these cases, you can not deal with the cause of the stress,
at least not quickly enough. As a result, the stress persists
and begins to take its toll on:
1
Your health When you 'gear up' under stress, your body
begins to do more of some things and less of others. For example,
blood circulation increases, but digestion slows down or even
stops.
Once
the stress ends, your body goes to work to restore the balance.
However, if stress returns too soon, your body will never
have time to get back on an even keel. Eventually, this can
lead to major health problems. Some, like heart disease and
ulcers, can put you in hospital. Others (sleeplessness, headaches,
poor digestion) are less acute, but still serious.
2
Your relations with other people Under stress, most people
become so wrapped up in their own problems that they forget
about everyone else. At the same time, they begin to take
out their feelings on family and friends.
The result
can be bad feelings between family members, along with the
loss of friends. As well, stress quickly becomes a family
problem, not just your own.
3
Your efficiency in your work For a short time, stress
can make you a better, more efficient worker. However, over
the long haul, it will gradually wear you down. You will become
physically weaker and begin to tire easily. At the same time,
you will find it difficult to concentrate and will begin to
make poor management decisions.
Because
of weariness and lack of concentration, you also will become
much more accident-prone.
4
More stress Stress will have a snowballing effect, because
all of the problems it causes -- health, family, and work
-- will become new troubles in your life.
To learn
to cope with stress, begin by taking a good look at yourself.
Be as honest and objective as possible!
1
First, make a list of the things that cause you stress. Try
to include any 'problem behind the problems'. For example,
if you feel life is passing you by, that will colour the way
you see everything else.
Also,
make sure to include all of the little things, like doing
business over the phone or hunting for the right size of bolt
to fix an implement.
After
making the list, expect things you missed to crop up from
time to time. As they do, simply add them to the end of your
list.
2
Next, think about how serious a problem stress is for you.
Do you feel under constant stress, or is it 'on and off'?
If it is an occasional problem, is it something that hits
several times a day, or just now and then?
Also,
think about how stress has hurt you. Has it affected your
health or work? Has it changed the way you treat other people?
3
Finally, try to decide if you are under more stress now than
you were a year or two ago. If you are, have the pressures
changed, or just your attitude toward them?
Once you
understand how stress is affecting you, you can begin to bring
it under control. This will be a gradual process because, for
the most part, it involves learning good habits and forgetting
bad ones.
1
Talking about your problems is one good way of relieving stress.
Choose someone you feel you can be open and honest with, and
tell him or her about your problem(s). If there is no one
close you feel you can talk to, consider someone like a clergyman
or family doctor.
2
Learn to recognize when you are coming under stress. Everyone
has a definite physical response, but it varies from person
to person. In one, it might be tightening of the neck or shoulder
muscles; in another, queasiness; in yet another, frowning.
When
you learn what your own stress signals are, try to respond
to them by telling yourself to relax. Concentrating on something
other than the problem -- for example, taking a deep breath
or deliberately relaxing your muscles -- will often help.
3
Look at the list of things that cause you stress and think
about how serious each of them really is. Also, pick out things
that are basically beyond your control, such as prices and
the weather. Then, when you feel under stress, evaluate the
cause. Is it something minor, or something you have no ability
to control? If so, is the stress actually causing you more
harm than the problem itself?
4
When dealing with a major problem, try to break it down into
smaller parts. For example, if you have a barn that needs
a lot of repairs, pick out one job and concentrate on getting
it done. Once that task is completed, pick out another, and
so on. Gradually, the problem as a whole will begin to seem
more manageable.
5
Schedule your time realistically. Don't try to squeeze more
work into a day than you can actually complete. Also, leave
room for the unexpected. Usually, there will be something
(for example, an unexpected visitor) that will hold up your
work.
6
Take occasional short breaks from your work. A person who
works without breaks becomes steadily less effective during
the course of the day. By contrast, a few minutes off will
refresh you and give you a new start at the job.
7
Learn how to relax. One way is to practice doing certain things
slowly (eating or walking, for example). Another is to just
sit back in a chair and concentrate on relaxing your muscles.
If you find this difficult, try alternately tensing and relaxing,
until you become familiar with the difference.
8
Develop other interests that will help you forget about your
problems for a while. Sports work for some people, reading,
exercising or socializing for others.
9
Consider outside help, such as counselling or group 'clinics'.
While this is a more public approach to your problems, it
has the advantage of input from other people. Often, they
can point out things you might never see for yourself.
Whatever
you do, there is no way to completely eliminate stress. Instead,
your goal should be to limit the amount of stress and to keep
it under control. This requires a definite personal commitment,
but the rewards should prove well worthwhile!
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
The information and recommendations contained in this publication
are believed to be reliable and representative of contemporary
expert opinion on the subject material. The Farm Safety Association
does not guarantee absolute accuracy or sufficiency of subject
material, nor can it accept responsibility for health and
safety recommendations that may have been omitted due to particular
and exceptional conditions and circumstances.
Fact
Sheet
NO.
F-001
JULY 1996
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