The Battle of Burnout on the Farm
No matter the season, there is always some form of stress occurring on the farm. Whether it be planting season, harvest, or simply just your daily list of chores, stress can start to add up. If your workload on the farm is starting to reach its breaking point, you may be experiencing burnout.
Burnout is a result from prolonged exposure to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job, according to Laura Hamill, Chief People Officer and Chief Science Officer at the Limeade Institute. This differs from disengagement, which is the action of withdrawing from involvement in a particular activity.
According to a U.S. News article from Hamill, research shows that burnout happens when highly engaged employees have an increasingly low well-being. The most common causes of burnout can be sparked from job pressures, role conflict, lack of support from managers, lack of feedback as well as lack of participation in decision making.
If some of these symptoms sound all too familiar, it may be time for an intervention. Hamill provides these four tips when it comes to battling burnout on the job.
1. Have a healthy mindset
In order to boost your morality on the farm, it’s important to first establish a healthy mindset.
“An established attitude about a situation sets the stage for how people handle or recover from certain circumstances,” Hamill says. “With a focus on personal development, growth and communication – it’s crucial to foster a well-being mindset that supports a positive outlook and puts your self-care first.”
2. Adjust workload
While this is easier said than done, it might be time to adjust the workload on the farm to balance some of the stress. This may mean giving other employees more responsibilities, taking a few tasks off of your plate or even adding a new employee to the farm if it is financially feasible.
“Work overload, tight deadlines and running on empty can lead to exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy – and ultimately cause you to burn out,” Hamill says. “Give yourself some well-deserved time off to recharge.”
3. Get support
No matter what type of occupation you may have, it’s important to have a strong support system in place to get you through some hard times.
“A support system not only takes you far in life, but also at work,” Hamill says. “In fact, social support positively relates to important factors that impact stress, health, well-being and engagement. Social connections can help guard against burnout.”
4. Find your purpose
If stress is adding pressure to your role on the farm, try to find the “why” behind what you do. What motivates you at work? What values are important to you? These are important questions to ask yourself to help rediscover your purpose.
“True engagement comes when people feel good and live with a sense of purpose,” Hamill says. “Helping employees connect to their purpose at work is key for burnout prevention.”
