Sometimes we have to look beyond the obvious. When we see one of our neighbours getting cranky, a little edgy, we need to wonder why he is like that before we
criticize him.
When someone we know starts to withdraw into himself, avoiding us, we might wonder why he is doing that before we feel hurt and insulted. There could be a problem here. I am referring to occupational burnout, another item on the farm stress line.
Other symptoms of occupational burnout are chronic fatigue, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, an inability to concentrate or stay focused, workaholism and a few too many accidents around the yard.
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Occupational burnout is not the result of hard work. It is the inability to sense that you have been properly rewarded for the work that you do. If the only, or primary, reward you get for your work around the farm is a financial one, you might have a problem.
Of late, not a year has gone by without some kind of financial difficulty blindsiding the farm economy.
Fortunately for the agricultural industry in Canada, and for the rest of us, most farmers do not rely wholly on their grain cheques and livestock auctions for their personal satisfaction. They have other commitments that they find rewarding.
Many of our neighbours and friends have made significant commitments to their families, and nurturing and caring for those whom they love is rewarding. Others have committed themselves to various community projects.
The rewards they get from alternate commitments do not compensate for loss of income, but they help keep everyone psychologically sound until they are able to turn the ledger around.
If you are experiencing unusual fatigue, impatience or any of the other symptoms noted, you might consider looking after yourself a little more than you usually do. You need regular meals and bedtimes, a little less alcohol.
A visit to the family doctor is not out of the question, and you can think about having a few sessions with a personal counsellor.
Nothing can displace the unusual hardships the past few years have dealt to the farm economy. The goal is to reduce the stress enough to give everyone an opportunity to appreciate the rewards that they may well be missing from other commitments they have made in their lives.
We want to enjoy the laughter of children at play, not worry about the children. We want to relish the miracle of the setting sun and we want, most of all, to appreciate ourselves as the valuable people we really are.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor, living and working in west-central Saskatchewan who has taught social work for two universities. Mail correspondence in care of Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or e-mail jandrews@producer.com.
