Building mental resilience on the farm: a talk with a psychologist and farmer

Calving, planting, and harvesting are the lifeblood of the farm and ranch. The new beginnings of spring calves and seeds and the completion of harvest in the fall are the things we as farmers and ranchers live for. But what happens when these busy seasons start to pile up and you go from excited to a little bit more… stressed?

In today’s episode, hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord visit with Dr. Amy Missling about stress on the farm and how it can turn from something seasonal to more permanent: chronic stress.

Dr. Amy Missling is a licensed clinical psychologist and practices in rural Minnesota.  She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders as well as trauma and stressor-related conditions.  She provides behavioral health services to adults with a variety of life circumstances and occupations, including local farmers and ranchers.  Outside of her work as a psychologist, she and her husband, Jeff Missling, feed cattle and hogs and co-own a meat locker in Devils Lake, N.D.

Dr. Missling shares her experience as a psychologist and agriculturalist. Marrying into agriculture has given her a unique experience about the kinds of stress farmers and ranchers are facing.

We talk about: 

• The kinds of stressors farmers and ranchers face 
• Warning signs to look out for that stress is becoming chronic
• Is stress always bad? 
• What you can do to manage stress on your farm and ranch  

Check out your level of stress here

For more information about how to find a behavioral health specialist, visit with your primary care doctor.

Farm Bureau Member? Visit KonnectMD on NDFB’s member benefit page  https://www.ndfb.org/benefits/ 

Contact Emmery and Alisha at @[e-mail]