Dealing with Stress in Agriculture

By John Shutske, Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist at UW-Madison and Karen Endres, Farmer Wellness Program Coordinator at DATCP’s Wisconsin Farm Center

Stress in agriculture gets a lot of headlines these days. Farmers have so many things that are out of their control from markets to weather to input costs. It can all be too much sometimes causing us stress.

What exactly is stress?

Stress is comprised of the emotions, sensations and physical reactions that occur when being exposed to things that make us feel threatened. Stress makes us feel physically and emotionally uncomfortable. It might feel like knots or butterflies in your stomach, or cause you to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Feelings of stress can also make it tough to concentrate during the workday. When working in agriculture, such a distraction can lead to injuries or other close calls, especially if you’re driving or working with heavy machinery, chemicals or ag products.

There are so many stressors that make agriculture unique: the connection between your business’ success and the weather; ever-fluctuating markets; long hours and work that can be repetitive or dangerous; and, in some cases, working with others employees, businesses and family.

It is important to note that feeling stressed is not a sign of weakness or that we lack an ability to cope with daily life. The stress response that occurs when we encounter a threat changes our body and brain chemistry, with the body releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which either spur us into action or slow and suppress brain function. Because of that, being overly stressed out can lead to bad decision-making and poor communication.

In an agribusiness setting, stress management is about controlling and channeling the hormones that cause the stress response. Below are six specific strategies to try when feeling stressed. Three relate to the business side and the other three are personal health-related actions. Done together, even one or two of these will make a dramatic difference.