Shropshire Farming Talk: Think of ten positives per day
As autumn rapidly encroaches into the tail end of summer, our thoughts and actions turn to winter jobs – preparing for calving and lambing, cultivating, drilling and cleaning out sheds ready for the return of livestock with their thickening coats.
The sun rises later, sets earlier and resides lower in the sky, offering a feeling of rest (when there is still so much to do!), thoughts of delicious beef stews, warming log burners and winter get-togethers.
At the same time, the shorter days can be challenging, since sunlight and its warmth often help us to feel good, and the cold, wet and darkness of winter can do quite the opposite.
At Jane Craigie Marketing, for whom I work, the team is supporting Farmstrong Scotland, a new rural well-being programme for the farming and crofting sector, sharing tips from like-minded people, and offering advice.
Farmstrong Scotland recently caught up with Formula 1’s Isla Mackenzie, who grew up on a dairy farm in the Outer Hebrides before becoming an engineer working on F1 cars in Northamptonshire, 11 hours away from her homeland. I think her advice is important to farmers across the UK, including Shropshire.
Isla said: “Formula 1 is a bit of a bubble, like farming.
"For me, getting out on the track is forever in my mind.Which is very much like a farmer who never stops thinking about their animals or crops.”
Isla understands the importance of keeping her mental health in check, and something she does, that I initially, thought would be challenging, is to write down ten positives from her day, each evening.
Ten positives felt a lot at first, but then I got started and considered the little things that raise a smile and it became rewarding, and whilst I don’t make time for it every day, it can really help when the chips feel down or when life seems overwhelming.
Like Isla says: “It’s a great way of finishing the day thinking about all the good things and nothing negative”.
Helen Cork, farmer and writer
