05-05-2025
Farmers should ‘take mini-breaks' to beat stress
Farmers could take 'mini-breaks' from their work as an effective way of managing stress, a Westmeath psychotherapist recently told Midlands Radio 3.
These mini-breaks could be as simple as grounding yourself and taking a few minutes for deep breaths during the working day, Siobhan Leijn, psychotherapist and CEO of said.
Leijn said such breaks are to avoid being stressed for too long, which can lower the immune system and make people more prone to illness.
Farming is a hands-on profession, Leijin acknowledged, and said: 'Even if they [farmers] are sick, they still have to feed their livestock. It's a way of life to farm.
'One of the most important things I would have learned from my uncle was to have a good network of friends out there, neighbours, people who will help you.'
'Mindful practice is always good as well, grounding yourself and thinking about your breath and not focusing on anything outside of it because our brain is notorious for skipping ahead,' she said.
Farming-related stress
Research by FRS Farm Services found that nine out of ten farmers believed that their stress levels had elevated in the last year, while a further seven out of eight farmers expressed concern about their wellbeing.
According to 'The Pressures of Farming' compiled by Teagasc in association with Mental Health Ireland, the physical symptoms of stress can include headaches, chronic tiredness and fatigue, musculoskeletal aches and pains, hypertension, rapid heart rate and panic attacks.
Emotional symptoms can include depression, anxiety, worry, fear, feelings of powerlessness and being overwhelmed, feeling trapped, frustrated, irritable or angry, loneliness, grief, and feeling like crying a lot.
Being socially included is one of the most powerful protectors of human wellbeing, according to the publication.
It also states that nvolvement with others and maintaining good neighbourly relationships are hugely important for wellbeing and protecting social inclusion,
Mental Health Ireland said minority groups such as LGBT people are an important part of rural society, as rural areas can lack diversity and be stifling to some isolated people.
