October 7, 2025 • 7 mins
Kathryn Wright shares some tips around Mental Health Awareness Week for rural people.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Rain on yours. No one else can feel a fire,
no one else can stay on your Catherine Wright joins
us this afternoon on the muster. Of course, she's a
counselor based in the Fieldland Basin as well as doing
a thesis regarding real mental health. Catherine, welcome once again.
(00:25):
We catch you this afternoon, just on your way back
from Auckland. We have been speaking. Firstly, we've got blue sky,
it's warmer, it's windy in the south, but it certainly
is a change to the mood.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Absolutely, thanks Cindy. Yeah, and I checked it with the
forecasters today and actually very interestingly the weather forecast is
warmer down south and it is for here at Auckland.
So looking forward to coming home.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It'll be the first time in about five years because
it's been bloody cold down here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Absolutely yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So it is Mental Health Awareness Week, Catherine from your leans.
What's something you need to focus on when you're getting
into October on a farming on a farming instance.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, A few things. So I'm actually up here. I've
been at a conference speaking about rural mental health to
mental health professionals and the theme that's kind of come
through and also happens to be the theme of mental
health awareness this week is actually connection in community. We
talk about individual mental health interventions, which are great too,
(01:29):
but then if you can just take a step back
and look at a community and look at your rural
community and think about how could you either make that
better or how could you get involved. So community interventions
are things like stepping for farmers. It's like your rugby team,
it's like your pay group. It's any kind of group
that happens in a rural community that you can get involved.
(01:51):
And with the longer days, now's the time to get
out and try to test something out, test a different group.
Don't write it off if it's not something that you
think that you wouldn't be interested in straightaway. I also
want to acknowledge that everybody's coming to the end of
four or five months of feeding out and that there
(02:12):
is stress, and there probably has been loneliness and isolation.
I would urge you to not let that stop you
from getting out and connecting because we need it as
it's a visceral need. It's like hunger or first. If
we feel lonely, we need to reach out to people.
It's the way that we made.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Would you say the overall state of mental health is improving.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's a really good question.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I think that a lot of mental health issues are
becoming more visible. So awareness is growing, which is great.
But with awareness comes a real or perceived view that
it is becoming more common. I'm not so sure that
it is. I just think that it was hidden a
little better. We didn't have the internet to or social
(02:58):
media to see these problems all the time. People are
feeling safer to be able to speak up and say so.
Therefore it's becoming more visible. I'm not sure that it
is increasing. In fact, I've seen some statistics in certain
mental health challenges that are actually getting.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Better because there used to be a real stigma abound
not feeling okay in a mental capacity.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, and I do believe that there still is that stigma.
In my research, it's one of the clear barriers to
help seeking. Unfortunately, it's the hardest one to address. What
I have found in my work and in my research
is that these stories of health seeking, of normalizing mental
(03:41):
health help seeking behavior, they must come from peers here.
They must be positive stories told on the ground in
rural communities that go from people to people. It cannot
be people speaking down to rural people telling them what's
what they need to do and what needs to happen.
It needs to come peter here. And often when people
(04:02):
get to a place of finally opening up, talking to
their mate, talking to someone they work with, quite often
the reception is something like I've been there too.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So, like you talked about before, we're coming towards the
end of the winter, slash lambing, carving, grind, what's your
message to people regarding getting off remembering that there's always
work to do.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
There is always work to do, and I don't think
that it will ever end. It's a little bit like
sweeping the path before it stopped snowing, or we will
see that meme of the guy trying to push the
ocean back into the ocean with the broom. But to
be sustainable as an ongoing occupation for you, even if
you feel stressed, even if you feel like you've got
(04:47):
no energy, The way that you will regain energy and
gain some feeling of autonomy over your own life is
to actually make that first step. Take take it along
with you, Take the stress with you, You take your exhaustion,
your fear of perhaps seeing other people, you can do
these things even when you feel that way.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
You went from tier Now all the way up to Auckland. Now,
Auckland's a big city, especially in the context of a
country like New Zealand. Do you just notice that when
you're walking down the street about just attitudes on people
being different, especially in a mental sense that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's really funny that you should say that end because
I had this is that conversation with.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
A group of people yesterday.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
There's something about the way that we are as roal
people that's difficult to put your finger on, that is
automatically visible if you see another roal person. And that's
exactly what happened to me yesterday. I don't know if
it's the body language or the way that they interact.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Maybe it's our personal space. We all know, and it's
true we do have a bigger personal space circle. I
certainly find here that people don't kind of look at you.
They there's a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Everybody's busy going about their lives. It's like everybody's in
an insular bubble. Just I'm actually watching from the sixteenth
floor right now. I'm stand on to the footpath and
I can see it right now. Nobody looks at each other,
no one interacts.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So nobody's wearing in their text of moleskins or our rems.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I saw one yesterday and that's how I knew he
was a shaman.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Bha.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Well, that's the thing, isn't it. And the thing about
being rural with a lot of people, if you're any
more relaxed, you'd fall over right. Oh.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Absolutely, And I think it's really easy to forget these
phenomenal palities that we have as for real people. Yes
there are issues, Yes we have problems.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yes there are things that are difficult to solve, But actually,
what if it's our humanity and our sense of connection
that sets us apart from the rest of the population.
That is something that we can truly be grateful for
and just be in there. If that makes sense, I love.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It, Catherine Wright. Always appreciate your time on the muster.
Great messaging as per usual, No problem, laugh out loud
with ag proud because life on the land can be
a laughing matter. Brought to us by sheer Well data
working to help the livestock farmer. If you're being chased
(07:23):
by a pack of taxideramists don't play dead. And here's
another thought for the day as well, never eat yellow snow.
That's us for the afternoon. I meanymur you've been listening
to the muster on Hakanui thanks to Peters, Geneis, Blue
Sky and Joy. Get the shorts out, see you tomorrow.
Rain on yours. No one else can feel a fire,
no one else can stay on your Catherine Wright joins
us this afternoon on the muster. Of course, she's a
counselor based in the Fieldland Basin as well as doing
a thesis regarding real mental health. Catherine, welcome once again.
(00:25):
We catch you this afternoon, just on your way back
from Auckland. We have been speaking. Firstly, we've got blue sky,
it's warmer, it's windy in the south, but it certainly
is a change to the mood.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Absolutely, thanks Cindy. Yeah, and I checked it with the
forecasters today and actually very interestingly the weather forecast is
warmer down south and it is for here at Auckland.
So looking forward to coming home.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It'll be the first time in about five years because
it's been bloody cold down here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Absolutely yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So it is Mental Health Awareness Week, Catherine from your leans.
What's something you need to focus on when you're getting
into October on a farming on a farming instance.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, A few things. So I'm actually up here. I've
been at a conference speaking about rural mental health to
mental health professionals and the theme that's kind of come
through and also happens to be the theme of mental
health awareness this week is actually connection in community. We
talk about individual mental health interventions, which are great too,
(01:29):
but then if you can just take a step back
and look at a community and look at your rural
community and think about how could you either make that
better or how could you get involved. So community interventions
are things like stepping for farmers. It's like your rugby team,
it's like your pay group. It's any kind of group
that happens in a rural community that you can get involved.
(01:51):
And with the longer days, now's the time to get
out and try to test something out, test a different group.
Don't write it off if it's not something that you
think that you wouldn't be interested in straightaway. I also
want to acknowledge that everybody's coming to the end of
four or five months of feeding out and that there
(02:12):
is stress, and there probably has been loneliness and isolation.
I would urge you to not let that stop you
from getting out and connecting because we need it as
it's a visceral need. It's like hunger or first. If
we feel lonely, we need to reach out to people.
It's the way that we made.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Would you say the overall state of mental health is improving.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's a really good question.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I think that a lot of mental health issues are
becoming more visible. So awareness is growing, which is great.
But with awareness comes a real or perceived view that
it is becoming more common. I'm not so sure that
it is. I just think that it was hidden a
little better. We didn't have the internet to or social
(02:58):
media to see these problems all the time. People are
feeling safer to be able to speak up and say so.
Therefore it's becoming more visible. I'm not sure that it
is increasing. In fact, I've seen some statistics in certain
mental health challenges that are actually getting.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Better because there used to be a real stigma abound
not feeling okay in a mental capacity.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, and I do believe that there still is that stigma.
In my research, it's one of the clear barriers to
help seeking. Unfortunately, it's the hardest one to address. What
I have found in my work and in my research
is that these stories of health seeking, of normalizing mental
(03:41):
health help seeking behavior, they must come from peers here.
They must be positive stories told on the ground in
rural communities that go from people to people. It cannot
be people speaking down to rural people telling them what's
what they need to do and what needs to happen.
It needs to come peter here. And often when people
(04:02):
get to a place of finally opening up, talking to
their mate, talking to someone they work with, quite often
the reception is something like I've been there too.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So, like you talked about before, we're coming towards the
end of the winter, slash lambing, carving, grind, what's your
message to people regarding getting off remembering that there's always
work to do.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
There is always work to do, and I don't think
that it will ever end. It's a little bit like
sweeping the path before it stopped snowing, or we will
see that meme of the guy trying to push the
ocean back into the ocean with the broom. But to
be sustainable as an ongoing occupation for you, even if
you feel stressed, even if you feel like you've got
(04:47):
no energy, The way that you will regain energy and
gain some feeling of autonomy over your own life is
to actually make that first step. Take take it along
with you, Take the stress with you, You take your exhaustion,
your fear of perhaps seeing other people, you can do
these things even when you feel that way.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
You went from tier Now all the way up to Auckland. Now,
Auckland's a big city, especially in the context of a
country like New Zealand. Do you just notice that when
you're walking down the street about just attitudes on people
being different, especially in a mental sense that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's really funny that you should say that end because
I had this is that conversation with.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
A group of people yesterday.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
There's something about the way that we are as roal
people that's difficult to put your finger on, that is
automatically visible if you see another roal person. And that's
exactly what happened to me yesterday. I don't know if
it's the body language or the way that they interact.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Maybe it's our personal space. We all know, and it's
true we do have a bigger personal space circle. I
certainly find here that people don't kind of look at you.
They there's a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Everybody's busy going about their lives. It's like everybody's in
an insular bubble. Just I'm actually watching from the sixteenth
floor right now. I'm stand on to the footpath and
I can see it right now. Nobody looks at each other,
no one interacts.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It's quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So nobody's wearing in their text of moleskins or our rems.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I saw one yesterday and that's how I knew he
was a shaman.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Bha.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Well, that's the thing, isn't it. And the thing about
being rural with a lot of people, if you're any
more relaxed, you'd fall over right. Oh.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Absolutely, And I think it's really easy to forget these
phenomenal palities that we have as for real people. Yes
there are issues, Yes we have problems.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yes there are things that are difficult to solve, But actually,
what if it's our humanity and our sense of connection
that sets us apart from the rest of the population.
That is something that we can truly be grateful for
and just be in there. If that makes sense, I love.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It, Catherine Wright. Always appreciate your time on the muster.
Great messaging as per usual, No problem, laugh out loud
with ag proud because life on the land can be
a laughing matter. Brought to us by sheer Well data
working to help the livestock farmer. If you're being chased
(07:23):
by a pack of taxideramists don't play dead. And here's
another thought for the day as well, never eat yellow snow.
That's us for the afternoon. I meanymur you've been listening
to the muster on Hakanui thanks to Peters, Geneis, Blue
Sky and Joy. Get the shorts out, see you tomorrow.
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