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8 Handling Stress on the Farm " REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE RESPONDS TO STRESS DIFFERENTLY " How do you deal with stress? Farmers vary in their ability to handle stress. Each person reacts to stress in their own way. What may be tolerable to one person may be a challenge to another. Awareness Yes No Can you name three recent situations that have caused stress in your life? Yes No Can you list three symptoms (physical, emotional or behavioural) that you suffer from when you are under stress? Acceptance Yes No Can you maintain a positive or neutral attitude when dealing with "little things" in life? Yes No Can you talk yourself out of feeling stressed? Coping Yes No Do you know (and use) relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation? Yes No Do you ever use exercise to get rid of stressed feelings? Action Yes No Do you make a list and prioritize tasks to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do? Yes No When conflict arises can you express your feelings and communicate them to others effectively? ______ Total Less than 7 yes Any effort made to improve your ability to recognize and deal with stress will help promote balance in your life. More than 7 yes You are on the right track! Share your ability to balance farm stress through difficult times with friends, family and colleagues. Be aware there can be a big difference between knowing what to do and doing it. Coping is how a person manages both their stressful problems and their responses to them. Each person may have a different way of coping with stress, and that coping style may also change based on the situation. Two common coping styles among people - approach coping: deal with stressor by trying to resolve it - avoidant coping: avoid the problem causing stress People who use approach coping, are more likely to adapt to stressors and have more positive outcomes than those who use avoidant coping. Coping Methods Coping with Stress There are a many stress coping methods that can help resolve or reduce stress. One method may be best suited for one stressor but not the other. Coping methods are not meant to be interdependent, but they can supplement one another when two or more are used together. Useful stress coping methods may include: - Cognitive-behavioral restructuring - Physical activity - Relaxation - Social Support

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