Sharing and caring
Taking care of mental wellbeing for ourselves and our friends has become more of a focus in recent times.
With many rural folk geographically isolated it is especially important. Plenty seems to be happening to cause worry and negatively impact our mental state – Mycoplasma bovis concerns, increasing cost of fuel affecting budgets, a Government with few politicians with any agricultural background, tiredness during this busy spring season and, right now, where I live, more than two windy weeks since recorded rain and our ground is very dry for this early in the year.
I value highly a special support group I belong to. The age varies from preschoolers to a 90-year-old and men and women are welcome. People are open with discussion, everyone is free to talk and be listened to and the conversation covers a broad range of topics – financial concerns, plans for the future, family issues, mistakes, disappointments and frustrations, opinions on local and national politics. It’s nonjudgmental and often humorous.
Some faces are familiar, and some members are new. There are people who live next door to each other and others travel a long distance to attend. Some are self employed in their own operation, others lease or are paid employees but everyone is equal and accepted.
This wonderful group isn’t a facilitated psychotherapy session, it’s our local sheep and beef farm discussion network. So valuable to gather with others working with similar environments and challenges and great to have mutual support between farmers who may have years of experience or be new to the job.
We hosted a gathering in our woolshed last week with an excellent speaker who covered nutrition, animal health and growing lambs. There’s always something to learn, or be reminded of. Like the different management requirements for each of the three 49-day trimesters of ewe pregnancy.
Our Federated Farmers representative reported back, including a summary of the recently updated Animal Welfare Act. Then a chat and chuckles over a barbecue lunch, followed by a four-wheel-drive convoy around the farm to check on stock and pasture.
Standing together in a paddock, we chewed over feed facts and fertiliser figures and talked about technological findings such as how high up our gumboots the grass is, or should be, for a mob of ewes and twin lambs.
It’s good to have a break from our own stuff and head home at the end of the day having caught up on friends, shared news and views, and maybe feel encouraged by what we’re doing or stimulated to change.
For me, farm discussion group day is a good day for mental, social and intellectual wellbeing and I appreciate everyone who participates. Being well spiritually is important too, and I’m grateful for my church family and faith.
It also helps my health to see each morning as a fresh one. Today, I woke to a misty white world and feeding lambs surrounded by the beauty and smell of damp dew. Listening to morning birdsong I watched the sun break through, creating a lovely, bright white mist-bow arching over our home and garden.
I don’t understand why it’s not coloured, but it was awesome sight, a special experience and wonderful start to another new and full day.
I stopped, enjoyed and am thankful for times like that to top up my tanks of wellbeing.