Farm Health and Safety Week is a chance to focus on something agriculture often overlooks: the health of the people who make it all possible. Veterinarians and producers alike pour their energy into the care of livestock, but the demands of the job can take a toll on both body and mind. Protecting your health is not selfish, it’s the foundation for sustaining your animals, your business and your community.
The challenges of farming and veterinary work are not only physical. Stress, financial pressure, unpredictable weather, disease outbreaks and tough animal welfare decisions can all weigh heavily on the minds of both veterinarians and producers. Mental health is inseparable from physical health; stress increases fatigue, reduces immunity and makes injuries more likely.
Andi Davison, licensed veterinary technician and positive change agent with Flourish Veterinary Consulting, recognizes the importance of allowing yourself to focus on your own mental health
“We are very good at focusing on our patients and our clients and our communities and our farms and our agriculture because it matters, and it all depends on the veterinary professionals and producers that are out there in the field doing the things,” Davison says. “It’s really easy to forget how valuable we are as professionals to that equation. I really believe that starting with a mindset that gives us permission to see ourselves as a valuable contributor is critical.”
Veterinarian Isolation
One of the biggest mental challenges facing bovine veterinarians on a daily basis is isolation. Often you’re traveling alone from farm to farm without a co-worker to share the time with. It’s worth considering and checking in with yourself about what makes you feel best. Davison recommends using the drive between farms to employ some strategies for a mental reset. These strategies can differ based on your personality.
For an introvert, this could include inward reflection on your last visit, listening to a podcast, pulling over to meditate or jamming out to your favorite album; for an extrovert, this could include calling someone to chat.
“When you get to the next farm, you set that intention of: ‘Okay, I worked through that, I reflected on my first stop. I took that space in between, and now I’m going to show up at my next stop in a way that I want to,’” Davison suggests. “The great thing about it is that you can do it in between stops, in between calls, in between farms; fit it in where it works best for you as an individual.”
Let’s Talk About It
Breaking the stigma around mental health is essential. Open conversations help normalize seeking help, whether through a professional counselor, a trusted peer, or a community support group. Small steps also make a difference: staying connected socially, setting aside even short periods of time for rest or hobbies and recognizing when stress is becoming overwhelming.
Importantly, both veterinarians and producers are in a position to check in on each other. A simple question like “how are you holding up” can open the door to vital conversations.
“Something that allows food medicine to stand out a little bit from the other facets of veterinary medicine is that quite often, the producer and the veterinarian are on the same page because their goals are very similar,” Davison says. “Whether that relationship involves discussing mental health, I bet you it does in some and it doesn’t in others. But I would encourage that conversation because the goals are similar. They’re out there doing it day in and day out, just like the veterinarian is. I would imagine that is a critical conversation to be had.”
Making mental health a part of everyday farm and clinic conversations can go a long way.
A Culture of Health in Agriculture
It’s important to recognize that there are resources out there, there are communities you can join, and there are connections that can be made. Interaction with others can go a long way to improving your mental health.
Healthy people build healthy farms. By allowing yourself to care for your mental well-being, veterinarians and producers can create a more sustainable future for themselves and their communities. National Farm Safety and Health Week is not only a reminder of the risks of agricultural work, but also an opportunity to commit to better habits, stronger support systems, and a shared responsibility for health.
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