The Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-03-16, Page 46Page 30 -Farm Progress '94
Dealing with stress
Today's farmer faces pressures
that often seem too much to handle.
They range from financial
problems, to bad weather, to simply
too much work!
While you can not escape these
pressures, there are ways of
handling the stresses they cause.
This is important, because too much
stress can disrupt your family and
do serious damage to your health. If
it gets out of control, stress can
make it hard to face day-to-day life,
let alone the bigger problems.
1. Talking about your problems is
one good way o.f relieving stress.
'Choose someone you feel you can
be open and honest with, and tell
him or her about your problem(s).
If there is no one close you feel
you can talk to, consider someone
like a clergyman or family doctor.
2. Learn to recognize when you are
coming under stress. Everyone has
a definite physical response, but it
varies from person to person. In
one, it might be tightening of the
neck or shoulder muscles; in
another, queasiness; in yet another,
frowning.
When you learn what your own
stress signals are, try to respond to
them by telling yourself to relax.
Concentrating on something other
than the problem - for example,
taking a deep breath or deliberately
relaxing your muscles - will often
help.
3. Look at the list ofs that
cause you stress and thinle about
how serious each of them really is.
Also, pick out things that are
basically beyond your control, such
as prices and the weather. Then,
when you feel under stress, evaluate,
the cause. Is it something minor, or
something your have notability to
control? .If so, is the stress actually`
causing you more harm than the
problem itself?
4. When. dealing with a major
problem, try to break it down into
smaller parts. For example, if you
have a barn that needs a lot of
repairs, pick out 'one job and con-
,centrate on getting it done: Once
that task is completed, pick out
another, and so on. Gradually, the
problem as a whole will begin to
seem more manageable.
5. Schedule your time realistically.
Don't try to squeeze more work
into a day than you can actually
IS YOUR
complete. Also, leave room for the
unexpected. Usually, there will be
something (for example, an unex-
pected visitor) that will hold up
your work.
6.' 'fake occasional short breaks
from your work. A person who
works without breaks becomes
steadily less effective during the •
course of the day. By contrast, a
. few minutes off will refresh you
and give you a new start at the job.
7. Learn how to relax. One way is
to practice doing certain things
slowly (eating or walking, for
example). Another is to just sit
back in a chair andconcentrate on
relaxiiig your muscles. If you find
this difficult, try alternately tensing
and relaxing, until you become_
familiar with the difference.
8. Develop other interests that will
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help ' you forget about your
problems for a while. Sports work
for some people, reading, exercising
or. socializing for others.
9. Consider outside help, such as
counselling or grdup 'clinics'.
While this is a more public ap-
proach to your problems, it has the
advantage of input from other
people. Often, they can point out
things you might never See for
yourself.
The focus is control
Whatever you do, there is no way
to completely eliminate stress.
Instead, your goal should be to limit
the •amount of .stress and to keep it
under control. This requires a
definite personal commitment, but
the rewards Should prove well
worthwhile! (Excerpted from the
Farm Safety Association Fact sheet)
Special days
at the.
Agricultural
Museum
May,29 - June 1: DAIRY. DAYS -
udderly awesome event with lots of
hands-on exhibits, dairy cow and
goat show.
June 6 - 10: GROUND WATER
FESTIVAL - turn on the tap to
learning and discover how ground
water works for us. '
June 19: ONTARIO AGRJCUL-
•TURAL HALL OF FAME INDUC-
TION CEREMONY - honoring
those who have made outstanding
contributions to agriculture.
June 21 - 23: SENIORS' DAYS -
great fun for our mature adults, and
admission is only 65 cents for those
65 plus.
July 1: CANADA DAY,
CELEBRATIONS • - bring the
family and be entertained with
music, games, antique car display
and an old fashioned strawberry
social. Free admission Canada Day
only,
July 16 - 17: GREAT CANADIAN
'ANTIQUE TRACTOR FIELD
DAYS - see operators blowing off
steam at this highly colorful event,
alive with the whistling sounds of
engines.
August 12 - 21: COUNTRY
QUILT FEST :. over 200 quilts,
wall hangings, quilted clothing,
demonstrations, and weekend
fashion shows.
August 28: FAMILY CORN FES-
TIVAL - celebrate Ontario's golden'.
crop with. freshly steamed corn -on-
the -cob. A family favorite!
September 4: KIDS, PONIES AND
FUN! - share in the excitement as
50 young riders and their ponies
participate in this schooling, show.
September 11: HARVEST1 OME -
the .sight, smells, and the sounds of
autumn on the farm are recreated in
this fun -filled event.
September 24 - 25: CHRISTMAS
CRAFT FAIR - an early start to •
Christmas shopping, discover uni-
que and classical gifts and say hello
to Santa.
The Ontario Agricultural
Museum's 1994 season runs May
29 - September 25, 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. daily.. .
For more information, contact the
museum at: Promotions and Public
Relations, PO Box 38; Milton,
Ontario, L9T 2Y3, (905) 878-8151.