Stress Management Means Taking Good Care of Yourself

Cooperative Extension

Stress Management Means Taking Good Care of Yourself

People are realizing that the most important aspect of farm management is managing the farmers themselves. The most modern equipment and facilities, ideal weather, and accurate record keeping will not guarantee a successful operation if the farmer is not mentally and physically prepared to handle the pressure. Learning about stress and how to manage it can benefit all farmers.

Good stress managers take good care of themselves.

They maintain their body on an ongoing basis for the strength and stamina needed to meet not only the daily hassles, but also the big stressors that come along. They do everything their mothers told them to do:

Eat a well-balanced diet
Get healthful, vigorous exercise
Get the amount of sleep that makes them feel good
Stop and relax when things get tense

Good stress managers use a variety of techniques to help them relax, depending on the situation.

Smart farmers say they…

Walk away for awhile

Spend time on their hobbies

Change their attitudes

Sleep or nap

Breath deeply and count to 1,000

Read just for enjoyment

Talk to others

Pray, meditate

Harry Johnson, M.D., states, “Many people who suffer persistent fatigue and tension have developed poor health habits.”

In their eating…

They eat breakfast on the fly (under 5 minutes)
They bolt their lunch (under 15 minutes)
They hurry through dinner (under 30 minutes) and a high percentage are nursing gastric disorders.

In their recreation…

Few of those complaining of tension get regular exercise
Few have leisure time interests (church, civic)
Many have no hobbies
One in five gets no recreation

For their rest…

Many average 6 or fewer hours of sleep at night
Few schedule relaxation time for family and self

In their smoking and drinking…

Most are heavy cigarette smokers
Most have two or more cocktails before dinner or consume large amounts of beer
Most use sleep inducing sedatives
Most quiet their nerves with tranquilizers.

According to Dr. Johnson, “If overly tense people can make a shift in health habits, that may be all that is needed.”

Keeping Your Body Healthy

Eating Right

A well-nourished individual can withstand and recover from stress better than a poorly nourished person.

Does this mean that you need extra vitamins and minerals when you are under emotional stress? Manufacturers of stress supplements certainly would like you to believe this, especially regarding vitamin C, the B vitamins and zinc. But to date, scientific findings have not established that emotional stress increases our nutritional needs above the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAS). In other words, there is no magic pill or vitamin to relieve stress.

Some people react to stress by overeating, others may eat less. In the long run, stress-response eating can make the problem worse. For example, just skipping a meal or two reduces your ability to concentrate, which, in turn, makes you less able to respond effectively to stressful situations. Or, overeating can lead to weight gain which itself can be stressful. Reacting to stress by either under eating or overeating starts a vicious circle. To break the cycle, consistently eat moderate-sized, well-balanced meals.

Relaxing

What can you do when you feel your muscles getting way too tight, and you notice you’re starting to cut corners and not operate as safely as you know you should? Try these ideas on for size.

When you are driving, place your hands on the steering wheel and raise your shoulders up to your ears. Hold them in position for a few seconds, and then drop them back to their normal position.

If you feel tight--sort of at the end of your rope--stand on “good old terra firma” and shake every muscle in your arms and legs. Start by imagining yourself as a rag doll and with arms hanging loosely by your side; begin to shake your hands. Then move up the body and include your arms and shoulders and feel the vibrations. Both arms and shoulders should shake energetically. Then gradually slow down the shaking and feel the tingling of the body. Next, sit and do the same thing with both legs. In a minute or two, you will feel less tense and more alert.

Farmers have a tough time getting away for vacations. They joke that they have a “full-time job with no sick leave or sick pay.” But if long vacations are impossible, farmers can create mini vacations to refresh and rejuvenate themselves and their families.

If a farmer feels generally self-confident and expects to solve a problem successfully, the stress will not be as severe even if it is a difficult problem. Problem-solving skills include those healthy things a farmer can do when feeling stressed.

We may not think of “taking a walk” as being much of a skill, but it is when we’re dealing with stressful situations. The skill is learning from past experiences to get away from a stressful problem for 20-30 minutes. The farmer takes a walk, relaxes and his or her head clears. That’s smart farming.

There are many strategies you can use to control stress so you maximize your productivity and decision-making capabilities.

Written by Dr. Patricia Tanner Nelson and Dr. Sue Snider for the Delaware Cooperative Extension Service. Parts have been adapted from materials prepared in the National Cooperative Extension network by Dr. James Van Horn, Pennsylvania State; Randy Weigel, Iowa State University; and Dr. Robert Fetsch, Colorado State University.

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. John C. Nye, Dean and Director. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of March 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin.