GETTING in the right frame of mind can make a big difference when dealing with tough times, according to mental health advocate and dairyfarmer Andrew Cavill.
Mr Cavill, who milks 600 cows at Bool Lagoon, said it was difficult to be resilient to unexpected events, such as the milk price drop, but it was possible to put steps in place to get through the situation.
Mr Cavill’s experience with mental health issues began when, following a difficult childhood and a marriage breakdown, he diagnosed himself as “mentally unwell”.
He said it was important not to ignore the symptoms of mental illness as they could have a negative impact on productivity.
“I tend to think if I just work 26 hours a day, I’ll overcome it,” he said.
“But you realise the biggest gains can come when you are mentally well, as that’s when you make the good, timely decisions.
“If you’re not mentally well, and you have a key decision to make, you will often put it off.
“The old saying goes, it’s a week between a good farmer and a bad one.”
But Mr Cavill said during tough times it was important to assess the reality and look for the positives.
“Just pick three key things in the business and do those things really well,” he said. “You can get a sense of achievement from doing those things well.
“If you run the farm the way you have when things are good, you can spend time doing things that don’t bring in money.”
Mr Cavill also recommends looking for the positive in all negative decisions.
“Those who don’t put steps in place can be bashing Murray Goulburn for the next five years,” he said.
“We need to accept that we can’t change certain things, and focus on the things that we can change.
“And, in a couple of years, we’ll all be more efficient at certain things on-farm.”
Mr Cavill also recommended the Men’s Watch program.
“You might notice that your neighbour is doing things a bit differently and you know you should probably go across there,” he said.
“This gives you the skills to ask your neighbour how they’re doing.”
He said the program had already been successfully rolled out to more than 2000 “country blokes”.
“We don’t do this sort of thing, but we are,” he said. “That’s how good the program is.”
- Details: aimhs.com.au, click on Men’s Watch tab
Mr Cavill’s top tips
* Ask yourself: how am I travelling mentally? It can be a tricky question to answer honestly.
* Be positive – there is always some positive but if you allow yourself to focus on the negative, you might miss it.
* Focus on the things you can do.
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
