Poor growing and harvesting conditions, low commodity prices, trade wars and a shortage of livestock feed for winter all have been stressful for North Dakota farmers and ranchers. NDSU Extension has developed a number of resources to help farmers and ranchers cope with the stress resulting from the uncertainties in their profession.
The first step is to recognize the early symptoms of stress, according to Sean Brotherson, Extension family science specialist. “Before farm/ranch families can do much about managing stress, they have to know when they are experiencing it,” he says. “Much of the time, people do not know or give attention to what is going on in their bodies and in their relationships with others.”
Those early signs include rising blood pressure, a rapidly beating heart, clenched teeth, aching neck and shoulders, sweating hands and feet, and churning stomach. Read more.
