You already know that farmers are the kind of folks who do it all by themselves. That includes handling their emotions (yes, they have those) and stress too. That is a totally okay approach, but when it comes to chronic stress that leads to depression and anxiety, trying to fix it is like trying to tape the header back onto your old swather.

We’ve all felt anxious at one point or another in our lives. It’s a very normal reaction to stress. It’s feeling worried, panicked, fearful, and uneasy about a future concern. We might even feel faint, sweaty like our heart is racing, or we get jelly legs. Because these feelings can be so unpleasant, our anxiety can lead to us avoiding certain situations. 

Our bodies are hard-wired to deal with stress so that we can protect ourselves from predators. Even though most of us don’t face these types of threats anymore, that doesn’t mean our life is free of stress. Quite the opposite! We face many daily demands, such as having heavy workloads, paying bills, fixing equipment, and caring for our family. When we interpret these hassles as threats, we’re on high alert, under pressure, and irritable.