Farmscape for December 30, 2022

The creator of High Heels and Canola Fields says simple strategies can make a big difference when it comes to dealing with the everyday stresses that occur on the farm.
"When Stress is More Than a Season" was among the topics discussed last month as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2022.
Lesley Kelly, the creator of High Heels and Canola Fields, a mental wellness website, and a co-founder of Do More Ag, notes mental stress can result in physical symptoms but the signs will vary from person to person.

Clip-Lesley Kelly-High Heels and Canola Fields:
The signs and symptoms of stress can vary depending on who you are or your life experiences, what you're going through, but all of us have different normals.
My normal might be different than my husband's and that's OK.
For each and every one of us some of those signs and symptoms could be physical, mental and emotional.
Physical could be increased heart rate, chest pain, tension headache.
Under the emotional and the mental front, it could be a change in our eating and sleeping, it could be being angry, a feeling of depression or a depressed state, angry blow-ups, irritability, frustration.
It really depends on the person and it could be the stressor too.
But there are little things that you can do which can make some big everyday impacts.
Those include learning about stress and learn what your signs and symptoms could be, learn about what are your big stressors in life.
It could also be learning that everyone's stress is different and learning to talk about stress and starting those conversations and helping someone go through that stress together.
Then it could also be doing things to take care of yourself and those around you, so some self care tactics and strategies before, during and after those stressful moments.

Kelly says there is support available to help cope with stress.
She encourages any interested to visit domore.ag for a list of resources.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers