MSU Extension Publication Archive Archive copy of publication, do not use for current recommendations. Up-to-date information about many topics can be obtained from your local Extension office. Stress on the Farm – Skills for Stress Management Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service North Central Regional Publication Randy Weigel, Human Development and Family Life, Iowa State University January 1983 4 pages The PDF file was provided courtesy of the Michigan State University Library

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Skills for Stress ll/tanagementThe secret in managing stress is not tojust mutter good thoughts to yourself.You have to be aware of the problemsyou face and of the things you say ordo that lead to problems. Then youhave to develop methods for handlingstress that you can use when facingproblems. You must learn to use theserepeatedly in a variety of stressfulsituations. You need to practice themagain and again until they can betriggered automatically whenever youfeet upset or stressed.

But remember that one technique maynot work in every situation. Whatworked with the salesperson last weekmay not work with the neighbor thisweek. Yet, what was learned fromdealing with the salesperson shouldgive you a clue in working with yournerghbor.

Three farmers will approach the sameproblem in three different ways, Bobsees the problem as someone else'sfault. "lf he did the work right, therewouldn't be a problem."

Jane jokes about the same problem.She breaks the tension with a funnystory and soon the tension eases andwork resumes.

Don brings a cool logic and reason tothe problem. He analyzes every angle,then plunges in and systematicallysolves it.

The problem is the same one and theyall handled it differently, and probablysolved it, in their own way. Anotherfarmer might use all these methods,plus a few more to get the answer.That's probably the way most of uscope with stresses of life

It is said that variety is the spice of lifeAnd variety is the spice that improvesstress management. Read through ihefollowing methods-"try them on forsize " Think about how they might workwith various problems you face. Whena problem occurs, you have a strategyfor dealing with it After all, what haveyou got to lose-except stressl

Attitude Adjusters.ideas to put stress in proper

perspective,

Good WorrierSome farmers feel they must worry. lfyou're one of those people, try to be a"good worrier." lnstead of saying, "lf

only I had sold before," or, "lf only I

had planted beans," turn the worryinginto problem solving "lf this happensagain, how will I handle it," or "What

can I do to prevent this kind ofproblem?"

Pre-Problem PlanningStress is usually more severe if it takesyou by surprise. Farming containsmany sudden, unplanned events, lf youcan take the surprise element out ofstress, you can manage it better. Whatare some potential crises in farming-disease outbreak, dismemberment, de-stroyed crops, death of farm operator?

Anticipate the steps to be taken if oneof those disasters happens to you. Plannow lo solve problems if they were tooccur.

Disaster Role PlayA farmer who was afraid that he mightdie of a heart attack was asked to tryas hard as possible to make the heartbeat faster and die of a heart attack-right on the spof. He was to try it each

time his fear of the heart attackoccurred, As he thought about it andstarted laughing, humor helped him puhis problem and himself in perspective

Mind StormingThis is just like brainstorming but youdo it yourself. Have you ever sat at aboring meeting and wondered, "What

am I doing here?" Well, instead ofstaying miserable, try "mind" storming,"How would I make this meeting morernteresting?" Or, you might want to takea "mind" vacation to a place youenjoy-a mountain meadow a sunnybeach, a cabin by the lake,

Ref ramingThis is more of an attitude than atechnique. lt's an attempt to put every-thing in order. lf the hay is lost in thefield, the reply is, "lt'll always growback." lf the tire blows on the truck,"l'm glad it happened here instead ofthe hill ahead." ln other words: "Grantme the serenity to accept the things I

cannot change, courage to change thethings I can, and wisdom to know thedifference. "

-ffsiphold Niebuhr,

North Central RegionalExtension Publication 192eJanuary 1983

Co-sponsored by the Cooperative ExtensionServices of lndiana, lowa, Michigan MinnesotaNebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin; in cooperation withSEA-Extension, USDA

Skills for Stress Management The secret in manag ing stress is not to just mutter good thou ghts to you rse lf. You have to be aware of the problems you face and of the things you say or do that lead to problems . Then you have to develop methods for handling stress that you can use when facing problems . You must learn to use these repeatedly in a variety of stressful situations . You need to practice them again and again until they can be triggered automati cally whenever you feet upset or stressed .

But remember that one technique may not work in every situation . What worked with the salesperson last week may not work with the neighbor this week . Yet , what was learned from dealing with the salesperson should give you a clue in working with your neighbor.

Three farmers will approach the same problem in three different ways . Bob sees the problem as someone else 's fault. "If he did the work right , there wouldn 't be a problem ."

Jane jokes about the same problem . She breaks the tension with a funny story and soon the tension eases and work resumes.

Don brings a cool logic and reason to the problem. He analyzes every angle , then plunges in and systematically solves it.

The problem is the same one and they all handled it differentl y, and probably solved it, in the ir own way. Another farmer might use all these methods , plus a few more to get th e answer. That's probably the way most of us cope with stresses of life .

It is said that variety is th e sp ice of life . And variety is the spi ce triat Improves stress managemert . Read through the following methods-"try them on for size ." Think about how they might work with various problems you face . When a problem occurs , you have a strategy for dealing with it . After all , what have you got to lose- except stress I

Attitude Adjusters " .ideas to put stress in proper perspective .

Good Worrier Some farmers feel they must worry. If you're one of those people , try to be a "good worrier. " Instead of saying , "If only I had sold before ," or, "If only I had planted beans ," turn the worrying into problem solving . "If this happens again , how will I handle it, " or "What can I do to prevent this kind of problem?"

Pre-Problem Planning Stress is usually more severe if it takes you by surprise . Farming contains many sudden, unplanned events . If you can take the surprise element out of stress , you can manage it better. What are some potential crises in farming­disease outbreak, dismemberment , de­stroyed crops , death of farm operator?

Anticipate the steps to be taken if one of those disasters happens to you. Plan now to solve problems if they were to occur.

Disaster Role Play A farmer who was afraid that he might die of a heart attack was asked to try as hard as possible to make the heart beat faster and die of a heart attack­right on the spot. He was to try it each

time his fear of the heart attack occurred. As he thought about it and started laughing , humor helped him pu his problem and himself in perspective

Mind Storming This is just like brainstorming but you do it yourself. Have you ever sat at a boring meeting and wondered , "What am I doing here?" Well , instead of staying miserable , try "mind " storming . "How would I make this meeting more interesting?" Or, you might want to take a "mind " vacation to a place you enjoy- a mountain meadow, a sunny beach , a cabin by the lake.

Reframing This is more of an attitude than a technique. It's an attempt to put every­thing in order. If the hay is lost in the field, the reply is, "It'll always grow back. " If the tire blows on the truck , ''I'm glad it happened here instead of the hill ahead. " In other words: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can , and wisdom to know the difference ." -Reinhold Niebuhr.

North Central Regional Extension Publication 192e January 1983

Co-sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Services of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan , Minnesota, Neb raska , Ohio , Wisconsi n; in cooperat ion with SEA-Extension , USDA

The Five-Minute-Letter (FML)The FML is a letter that takes only fiveminutes to write lt has many purposesln managing stress it can be usedwhen letting off steam is more appropri-ate on paper than directly to theperson. Use whatever paper is handywhen the need to write occurs. Usepencil, pen, crayon, or whatever. Put

your feelings on paper. Don't worryabout spelling or complete sentences.Why are you upset? How do you feel?What did the other person do, or notdo? What should happen now?

Read it through several times until you

feel satisfied you've said what you

wanted to say. The FML helps toexpress your feelings instead of keep-ing things bottled up. Plus, you maynow be better prepared to tactfullydiscuss the problem with the person.

The Art of Rest and RelaxationRelaxation . . should be just that!Relaxation can occur in various waysand in many places. The key tosuccessful relaxation is that it shouldbe enjoyable and easy-not work as we

often view our activities.

Following are ways to relax that cantake place at any time and differentplaces. They do not require a highamount of skill, time, or training. Butthey do require one thing-practice. Noprogram will work unless it is used.

Walking-can be a form of relaxationand meditation. Start in a living room orbedroom and begin walking in Yourstocking feet, Try walking as slowly asyou can, keeping your knees bent andclose together, and take small steps.Pay attention to how you feel-Yourshoulders, arms, knees, thighs, calves,ankles, toes. Practice 20 minutes a day,

and when you walk anywhere, concen-trate on how your body feels.

Movement or active relaxation-become involved in a physical activity:gardening, washing dishes, reading a

book. Notice the amount of tensionneeded to perform the activity. lt is oftwo types: (1) primary or that needed toaccomplish the task and (2) secondaryor that which is unnecessary. As you

carry on the acttvity, pay attention tothe tension that is not needed andconcentrate on stopping it. At first, thiswill require effort but it will graduallybecome automatic.

Uninterrupted quiet-Sit comfortably for20 minutes with your eyes closed.Repeat aloud any soft word, "calm,""rose," etc. until you hear your ownvoice. Then repeat the word to yourselfand just listen to yourself. lf your mindwanders, slowly bring your thoughtsback; don't rush yourself. Stay with itdaily and experience what happens

Escape for awhile-from the painfulproblem; to a movie, a book, game, orquick trip. "Stand there and suffer" is aform of self punishment and not a wayto solve the problem. Recover andcome back to deal with the difficultywhen you are better prepared.

Shaking-is a quick way to relievetensions and relax tight muscles. lmag-ine yourself a ragdoll and with armshanging loosely by your side, begin to

shake your hands. Then move uP thebody and include your arms andshoulders and feel the vibrations. Both

arms and shoulders should shakeenergetically. Then slow down the shak-ing gradually and feel the tingling ofthe body. Next, sit and do the samething with both legs.

Drawing mental pictures-by picturingin your mind a pleasant, favorite object(a flower is a good example), Letyourself gently outline the object in your

mind, picking out special details. lf

your mind wanders, slowly bring itback. Practice this daily, for 10 minutesat a time, and especially at ttmes whenrelaxation is needed.

Getting a HandleAny attempt to manage stress or makea change in your life requires a plan:(1) find the problem, (2) look forbarriers, (3) plan to succeed, (4) begina plan of attack, and (5) evaluate theplan.

Find the ProblemThe first step in learning to controlstress is to identify those problems in

everyday life that lead to stress. You

also need to determine how your ownthinking may cause stress and how

stress affects you.

Once you have a handle on the stressyou face you can make a realisticcommitment to manage stress

Look for Barriers"l don't have time to manage stress" or,

"l can't exercise; besides jogging is so

boring." Many of the thoughts or habitsyou possess stand in the waY tosuccessfully managing stress. ln orderto make a change in your life, you must

locate the barriers to success andchange the negative habits or thinking'to a positive commitment to change,

On a small pad of paper, record how

often you feel stress and what thecauses and results of that stress are in

everyday life. Was negative thinking ora bad habit the cause of the stress?Gathering this information as you begina stress management program givesgood feedback on how well You areprogressing toward your goal.

The Five-Minute-Letter (FML) The FML is a letter that takes only five minutes to write. It has many purposes . In managing stress it can be used when letting off steam is more appropri­ate on paper than directly to the person. Use whatever paper is handy when the need to write occurs . Use pencil, pen, crayon , or whatever. Put your feelings on paper. Don 't worry about spelling or complete sentences . Why are you upset? How do you feel? What did the other person do, or not do? What should happen now?

Read it through several times until you feel satisfied you 've said what you wanted to say. The FML helps to express your feelings instead of keep­ing things bottled up. Plus , you may now be better prepared to tactfully discuss the problem with the person.

The Art of Rest and Relaxation Relaxation . . . should be just that! Relaxation can occur in various ways and in many places. The key to successful relaxation is that it should be enjoyable and easy-not work as we often view our activities.

Following are ways to relax that can take place at any time and different places . They do not require a high amount of skill, time, or training . But they do require one thing-practice. No program will work unless it is used.

Walking-can be a form of relaxation and meditation. Start in a living room or bedroom and begin walking in your stocking feet. Try walking as slowly as you can , keeping your knees bent and close together, and take small steps . Pay attention to how you feel-your shoulders , arms , knees , thighs , calves , ankles , toes. Practice 20 minutes a day, and when you walk anywhere, concen­trate on how your body feels .

Movement or active relaxation­become involved in a physical activity: gardening , washing dishes , reading a book. Notice the amount of tension needed to perform the activity. It is of two types: (1) primary or that needed to accomplish the task and (2) secondary or that which is unnecessary. As you carryon the activity, pay attention to the tension that is not needed and concentrate on stopping it. At first , this will req uire effort but it will gradually become automatic .

Uninterrupted quiet- Sit comfortably for 20 minutes with your eyes closed . Repeat aloud any soft word , "calm ," "rose ," etc . until you hear your own voice. Then repeat the word to yourself and just listen to yourself. If your mind wanders , slowly bring your thoughts back; don 't rush yourself. Stay with it daily and experience what happens.

Escape for awhile-from the painful problem; to a movie, a book, game, or quick trip. "Stand there and suffer" is a form of self punishment and not a way to solve the problem. Recover and come back to deal with the difficulty when you are better prepared .

Shaking-is a quick way to relieve tensions and relax tight muscles . Imag­ine yourself a ragdoll and with arms hanging loosely by your side , begin to shake your hands. Then move up the body and include your arms and shoulders and feel the vibrations . Both arms and shoulders should shake energetically. Then slow down the shak­ing gradually and feel the tingling of the body. Next, sit and do the same thing with both legs .

Drawing mental pictures- by picturing in your mind a pleasant, favorite object (a flower is a good example). Let yourself gently outline the object in your

mind , picking out special details . If your mind wanders, slowly bring it back. Practice this daily, for 10 minutes at a time , and especially at times when relaxation is needed.

Getting a Handle Any attempt to manage stress or make a change in your life requires a plan : (1) find the problem, (2) look for barriers , (3) plan to succeed , (4) begin a plan of attack, and (5) evaluate the plan .

Find the Problem The first step in learning to control stress is to identify those problems in everyday life that lead to stress . You also need to determine how your own thinking may cause stress and how stress affects you .

Once you have a handle on the stress you face you can make a realistic commitment to manage stress.

Look for Barriers "I don 't have time to manage stress " or, "I can 't exercise; besides jogging is so boring ." Many of the thoughts or habits you possess stand in the way to successfully managing stress . In order to make a change in your life, you must locate the barriers to success and change the negative habits or thinking ' to a positive commitment to change.

On a small pad of paper, record how often you feel stress and what the causes and results of that stress are in everyday life . Was negative thinking or a bad habit the cause of the stress? Gathering this information as you begin a stress management program gives good feedback on how well you are progressing toward your goal .

Plan to SucceedAfter identifying the barriers to manag-ing stress, you can start to buildconfidence and commitment for theeffort you are undertaking. You may findthat a short walk relaxes the nerves just

as well as a drink. Taking the stairsinstead of the elevator provides goodexercise without a lot of extra effort.

Continually work to change the selfdefeating thinking that blocks success.Change, "l can't control the stresses I

face" to "l want to learn to control mylife so that I can enioy it more." Thispositive outlook can give you the willpower and determination to managestress.

Begin a Plan of AttackThe next phase is to attack the prob-lem, Decide what it is you want toaccomplish and the steps you musttake in order to accomplish thechange. Let's say, for example, that you

want to control your anger when some-thing goes wrong What stePs are Yougoing to take? Will it be "counting toten"; writing a five minute letter; prac-ticing a relaxation exercise; or anothertechnique previously mentioned? Set aschedule for yourself and outline thesteps you must take to reach your goal

Evaluate the PlanEvaluate your progress toward the goalperiodically, Recheck your action plan.

Are your goals realistic? Do you need

to redefrne your problem? Perhaps theproblem has changed or maybe you

have reached your goal and need toset a new one.

Evaluating your stress managementplan at various ttmes is essential togaining a handle on stress,

Other publications in the Stress on theFarm series include: NCR-I92a, An

Overview; NCR-I92b, Farmrng and Fa-

tigue, NCR-192c, Team of ExPerts',NCR-192d, Exercise for the Health of lt

Plan to Succeed After identifying the barriers to manag­ing stress , you can start to bui ld confidence and commitment for the effort you are undertaking . You may find that a short walk re laxes the nerves just as we ll as a drink. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator provides good exercise without a lot of extra effort .

Continua ll y work to change the self defeating thinking that blocks success . Change, "I can 't control the stresses I face " to "I want to learn to contro l my li fe so that I can enjoy it more ." This posi tive outlook can give you the will power and determination to manage stress .

Begin a Plan of Attack The next phase is to attack the prob­lem. Decide what it is you want to accomplish and the steps you must take in order to accomplish the change . Let's say, for example , that you want to contro l your anger when some­thing goes wrong . What steps are you going to take? Will it be "counting to ten "; writing a five min ute letter; p rac­ticing a relaxat ion exercise ; or another technique previously mentioned? Set a schedule for yourself and outline the steps you must take to reach your goal .

Evaluate the Plan Evaluate you r progress toward the goal periodically. Recheck you r act ion plan . Are your goals realistic? Do you need to redefine your problem? Perhaps the problem has changed or maybe you have reached you r goal and need to set a new one .

Evaluating your stress management plan at various times is essential to gaining a handle on stress .

Other publications in the Stress on the Farm se ri es include : NCR-192a, An Overview; NCR-192b, Farming and Fa ­tigue ; NCR-192c , Team of Experts ; NCR-192d, Exercise for the Health of It .

File Family Life 7

extensron specialist infamily ljfe lowa State

Written by Randy Weigelhuman development andUniversity

and justice for allThe lowa Cooperative Extension Service's pro-grams and policies are consistent with pertinentfederal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, nationalorigin religion sex, age, and handicap

ln cooperation with NCR Educational MaterialsProject.lssued rn furtherance of Cooperative Extensionwork. Acts of Congress of May B and June 301914 in cooperation with the U S. Department ofAgriculture and Cooperative Extensron Servicesof lllinois, Indiana Kansas, Michigan, MinnesotaMissouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, SouthDakota and Wisconsin Robert L. Crom directorCooperative Extension Service, lowa State Univer-sity Ames lowa 50011

File Family Li fe 7

Written by Randy Weigel, extension specialist in human development and family life , Iowa State University

and justice for all The Iowa Cooperative Extension Service's pro­grams and policies are consistent with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on non­discrimination regarding race , color, national origin, religion, sex, age, and handicap

In cooperation with NCR Educational Materials Project. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work. Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30 , 1914, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Services of IllinoIs, Indiana, Kansas , Michigan Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin . Robert L Crom, director Cooperative Extension Serv ice Iowa State Univer­sity, Ames , Iowa 50011