Look after mental health
Dairy farmers, and New Zealanders in general, have come a long way when it comes to their mental health and wellbeing.
When I was growing up, we were often told to ‘harden up’ if we felt rundown or stressed by work or life, and I’m sure many of you can relate.
It was the same for my parents’ generation. They prided themselves on their hard work ethic and ‘she’ll be right attitude’, often putting their own health last. And mental health in those days just wasn’t talked about due to the stigma attached.
But we’ve come a long way. Nowadays, there is so much more awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing.
I believe this shift has come about through people like All Black legend Sir John Kirwan sharing their experience with depression and showing it’s okay to be vulnerable and ask for help — two things that can be so hard to do.
Through telling his story, he has inspired others to step out of the shadows.
People like farmer Doug Avery, who wrote a book about his battle with depression.
It’s people like these that help create a culture where it’s okay to talk about what we’re going through and reach out for support.
And I’ve noticed this change in farmers first-hand through my work in the people team at DairyNZ.
took out the best on-farm category in DairyNZ’s Mental Health Awareness Week photo competition. “Sunset with the calves is the best way to relax, calves are such happy animals that even after a rough day on the farm they will make you smile!” she said.
Dairy farmers are making a far more conscious effort to look after their staff and themselves, and there is an increasing focus on a good worklife balance.
DairyNZ does a number of things to support our farmers to think about, and prioritise their mental health and wellbeing.
Most recently, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we held a photo competition encouraging dairy farmers to connect with nature and
snap a picture and share it with us.
We received around 80 entries, and I was amazed at the photos farmers sent in. Not only the calibre of pictures they took, but some of the captions they provided explaining why the moment they captured was good for their mental health.
Among my favourites was from Southland farmer Zoe Wills who snapped a wonderful photo of a curious cow watching her and her partner Benji Gillespie eat lunch,