Health and wellbeing support for farmers and rural workers

Health & Wellbeing

Our primary goal is to support rural people heal and recover; returning to farming and family sooner rather than later

Mental health was seen by those experiencing mental illness as placing a burden on family and friends. Most still don’t reach out due to shame or the fear of being treated unfairly - yet half of the NZ population experiences mental illness at some time in their lives.  

Rural Support Trust Facilitators are trained to recognise signs of dis-Stress and/or Stress and triage rural people with anxiety and/or depression in a caring, confidential and compassionate manner.

Our other goal is to support development of Individual and Community resilience with education.

Free community training is delivered through a Good Yarn Mental Health workshop so get in touch with your local Trust.  

Read on for more information to support your road to recovery, or phone us on 0800 824 757.

Stress and Burnout

We all have ups and downs at work and in life. To manage potential stress and burnout check out Farmstrong’s tips and tricks.  They also have a handy warning signs checklist to help you recognise the signs of stress in yourself or others and reach out for help. 

Five Ways to Wellbeing

The five ways to wellbeing can help people stay mentally well

Connect, me whakawhanaunga

Talk, listen, be there.  Positive social interactions make us feel happy, connected and secure.

Be Active, me kori tonu

Being physically active can improve our wellbeing.  Do what you can and enjoy what you do. 

Take Notice, me aro tonu

Take note of the little things that bring you joy. This can include gratitude, forgiveness and reflection.

Keep Learning, me ako tonu

Embrace new experiences, see opportunities.  As an adult this can help to set and achieve goals.

Give, tukua

Your time, yours words, your presence.  By helping others, we give ourselves a sense of purse and a feeling of being part of a community or team.

For more information check out the Five Ways To Wellbeing Resources on the Mental Health Foundation website.

Looking after our physical health is an important part of looking after both our mental and physical wellbeing.

Sleep

Our body is designed to get 8 hours sleep. Things can get tough quickly if you aren’t getting enough sleep.  Sleep deprivation can impact your mental and physical wellbeing.  It can make you tired, intolerant and exhausted and fatigue can be a factor in accidents.  Farmstrong have some useful tips on how to help get to sleep and stay asleep.  Sleep well

Nutrition

All farmers know nutrition is important.  They assess it on a day to day basis for their animals. We need to ensure our own diet is nutritious and sufficient to fuel our daily activities, including remaining hydrated particularly on those hot summer days working outside.  There are loads of tips on the Farmstrong website to help you meet your daily nutritional requirements and some time saving tips to make it easy.  Eat well

Physical Activity

Being physically active helps us on farm but also ensures we can keep doing and seeing the things we love.  Daily physical activity will help ensure you are prepared for the high impact times on farm such as calving and lambing.  Farm fit helps you with the three steps to get going and keep going – make it a habit – start slowly – involve others.

Remember, you get your machinery checked and serviced regularly.  It is important to do the same for yourself with a check up at your GP.  


Check out some useful articles about health and wellbeing:

Extra Government support for farmers and growers in Southland and parts of Otago.

Extra Government support for farmers and growers in Southland and parts of Otago.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay MP, and Rural Communities Minister
October 4, 2024 0 Comments
English Classes to Ease Isolation

English Classes to Ease Isolation

Agri Teach Me co-founder and dairy farmer Lyzanne Du Plessis, of Otahuti, said the lessons were launched as a result of online dairy farming education provider Agri Teach Me asking online language...
September 8, 2024 0 Comments
Rural Women's Mental Health Podcast Series with Ag in Conversation

Rural Women's Mental Health Podcast Series with Ag in Conversation

Ag in Conversation are excited to launch a podcast series focused on Rural Women’s Mental Health. 

September 6, 2024 0 Comments
Life After Death – A Brief Look at Estate Administrartion

Life After Death – A Brief Look at Estate Administrartion

We spend our lives growing our wealth and building our “empire”. But what happens to it when we die? We receive phone calls daily asking, “my loved one passed away, now...
September 4, 2024 0 Comments
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards 2024 - Hamilton, Waikato

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards 2024 - Hamilton, Waikato

Come join in with celebrating the sector and announce the winners at the 2024 B+LNZ Awards.  As well as finding out who the winners are of the eight award categories, it will be an...
10/10/2024 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM 0 Comments
Rural Women New Zealand Inaugural Inspiring Wāhine Conference - Alexandra, Central Otago

Rural Women New Zealand Inaugural Inspiring Wāhine Conference - Alexandra, Central Otago

Rural Women New Zealand  are delighted to sponsor the inaugural Inspiring Wāhine Conference in Alexandra on International Rural Women’s Day, Tuesday, October 15th, 2024! 
10/15/2024 8:00 AM - 9:30 PM 0 Comments
Keeping Well on the Farm

Keeping Well on the Farm

In a sea of jumpers and puffer jackets, in a packed-out community hall on a chilly winter evening in the southern town of Winton (attending a Time Out Tour), Tyler Langford describes the...
June 30, 2024 0 Comments
Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust are committed to improving literacy levels in rural or isolated communities.

Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust are committed to improving literacy levels in rural or isolated communities.

Their program uses volunteer coaches who provide 30 minuet - 60 minute sessions, up to 2-3 times a week, over the internet or phone. They believe everyone should have access to the literacy...
June 3, 2024 0 Comments
Farm without Harm - Safety Alerts

Farm without Harm - Safety Alerts

May 30, 2024 0 Comments
SMART Goals - produced by Kathryn Wright, Registered Counsellor

SMART Goals - produced by Kathryn Wright, Registered Counsellor

It can be quite complicated to set and stick to goals – let’s take a look at how you can find the right goals for you, and how to make it more likely that you will succeed. Before...
May 10, 2024 0 Comments
Getting through this Dry Period

Getting through this Dry Period

We all know dry spells and droughts can be long and relentless. Now is the time to seek help and plan for the next few months. There are a range of options available to support you...
May 2, 2024 0 Comments
Rural Change Wellbeing Programme to merge with Rural Support Trust

Rural Change Wellbeing Programme to merge with Rural Support Trust

The Rural Change programme which provided free private mental health professional sessions to the rural industry

April 29, 2024 0 Comments
With thanks to our Principal Sponsors
 
Thanks to our Time Out Tour partners