Your mental health matters

For many this might mean catching up with colleagues or classmates and talking about their break; but for some, getting back into routine means returning to an isolating job, such as farming.

Working in agriculture can be lonely, with many people spending hours or days without talking to someone, this can be especially hard at this time of the year.

While some might be glad for the holidays to be over to get away from their families, others may dread returning to their solitary lifestyle.

Mental health issues are a massive problem for many working in agriculture; these can be caused by loneliness, stress, financial worries, sleep deprivation, or a lack of support.

Some farmers feel ‘under-appreciated’ for the long hours they work to ensure that food is produced, while others view the wider perception of the industry as demoralising.

Lantra, one of the leading awarding bodies for land-based industries in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland, offers a free ‘Mental Health in Agriculture’ course which can be completed online; it only takes a couple of hours. This course could be extremely beneficial to you or someone you know, it provides useful information on common themes of depression, different brain systems and how to develop a soothing system.

To find out more or sign up for this course visit https://www.lantra.co.uk/product/34152. Remember, mental health matters.