Avoiding self-judgment, recognizing individual differences, focusing on personal needs and being proactive about mental health management are important for the agriculture industry to continue making progress in addressing well being and health.
Ted Matthews, director of Minnesota Rural Mental Health, has been helping farmers and farm families for more than 30 years. As a recent guest on “AgriTalk,” Matthews shared that when it comes to mental health people need to realize everyone is different, their needs are different and how they take care of their mental health will look different. The importance is understanding what that looks like for each individual.
“Because we are all different, we have to look at how we handle things personally, and not what we should do based on what other people do,” Matthews says. “We need to focus on what our mind needs, and then, as a family member, what are the family members’ needs, not what they should be. I think that’s a huge part of understanding mental health.”
Matthews says a positive step is that people are starting to understand that mental health is a huge part of physical health too.
“People need to [realize] that how you take care of yourself is by being nice to yourself,” he says. “Don’t beat yourself up for all the things you do wrong. Make sure that, if you’re going to keep score, you also score the things that you do right and the positive things you do and are.”
Based on Matthews’ advice, here are some self-evaluating questions farmers and ranchers could ask:
Self-Awareness
- Am I being too judgmental toward myself?
- What do I need to feel better?
- Am I comparing myself unfairly to others?
Stress Management
- How am I handling stress?
- Are my stress levels impacting my physical health?
- What specific strategies help me manage my mental well-being?
Personal Needs
- What are my unique mental health needs?
- How do I take care of myself differently from others?
- Am I acknowledging both my challenges and my strengths?
Emotional Check-In
- Am I giving myself credit for what I do right?
- How am I processing difficult emotions?
- Am I being kind to myself?
Support and Communication
- Do I have people I can talk to about my mental health?
- Am I comfortable discussing my feelings?
- Would talking to a professional help me?
Check out the rest of the conversation where Matthews shares about parenting adolescents during this time of growth and development, and what people can do to navigate social media that helps protect their mental health.
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