Rural Agribusiness Wellbeing Plan

Introduction

Think of your mental health like a tractor – when well maintained and serviced regularly it can make it through day-to-day as well as the toughest harvest. However, when it’s worked too hard and not looked after, it won’t run as well as it should. When you work too hard and don’t look after yourself, you can also become burnt out, and find it tough to manage everyday duties, both at home and work.

Just as a tractor needs all its components like the engine, transmission, hydraulics and attachments in good working order to run effectively, you too need your physical, mental and social health to perform at your best.

The purpose of this wellbeing plan is to get you thinking about what you currently do to support your mental health and what you could do to help improve it. When you finish the plan, you will have a list of actions to improve your overall wellbeing, as well as actions to manage specific work factors that might be stressful to you. A wellbeing plan can help you maintain your mental health and manage the day-to-day stress of your work, as well as challenging times like your busy seasons or adverse events like droughts, bushfires or floods.

Now let’s take a look at what stress looks like for you

Understanding this will help you know when it’s time to do something for your wellbeing. Stress can show up in our thoughts, body and actions, and too much stress can cause us to feel burnt out and overwhelmed.

How does stress show up in your thoughts?

Constant worrying and feeling overwhelmed

Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Racing thoughts or fixation on one thought

Other

How does stress show up in your body?

Constant fatigue or difficulty sleeping

Muscle aches, tension or teeth grinding

Feeling unwell, nauseous or headaches

Other

How does stress show up in your actions?

A change in productivity, motivation or performance

Not doing things you usually enjoy doing or avoiding socialising

Frequent angry outbursts and loss of patience

Increased smoking, drug or alcohol use

Other

Stressful times

It’s important to think about the times where you might be more stressed than usual so you can be better prepared to manage them. This could include things like harvest time, summer, tax time or school holidays. What are some stressful events in your year and roughly when do they start?

Event	Rough start date of this period (e.g. dd/mm)

Contact me with helpful support information for these events

To support you through these stressful times, would you like us to send you some helpful information beforehand to ensure you are better prepared to manage?

Yes, via email

Yes, via SMS

No

Contact email address

Contact mobile number

Useful links

What would you like to focus on?

Pick one or two of your top priorities to focus on throughout your wellbeing plan. Based on your chosen focus areas you will be given information and actions to help you reduce your stress.

We recommend choosing your top two areas so you are not taking on too much at once. When you are ready, you can create a new wellbeing plan and select additional focus areas.

Focus areas *

Adverse events While many adverse events like droughts, floods and bushfires are outside of our control, what we do to prepare both physically and mentally for them is in our control. Doing things that build up your wellbeing will help you to manage during and after adverse events.

Finances Many business owners take on debt to keep their business afloat. When debt builds up or is unmanaged it can cause stress and impact your wellbeing. Being proactive and prepared, with a wellbeing plan will help keep you on track throughout financial stress.

Red tape There are many rules and regulations that agribusiness owners need to follow, which can sometimes become overwhelming and difficult to navigate. This can cause a great deal of stress and frustration which can negatively impact wellbeing. Doing things that boost your wellbeing can help you better manage stress and keep a clear head while you problem solve and navigate red tape.

Long days and no time off Running an agribusiness can mean working long, hard days, which means sacrificing time to spend doing things for yourself. It can also mean taking time off from work feels impossible, with nobody to manage things if you go away. Managing work-life balance and taking time for things you want to do is vital for your wellbeing.

General wellbeing If you have nothing in particular you would like to focus on, a general wellbeing plan is a great place to start. It will help you focus on building your wellbeing, so you are better prepared for the everyday stress of running your business, as well as for big business events or unexpected stress.

Some actions related to your top priorities are presented over the next few pages. For each action, you can select the things you are currently doing, would like to do and do not want to do. There is space to add your own ideas and actions, to make sure your wellbeing plan includes things that suit you.

Preparing for disasters

Being prepared for events such as fires, floods, droughts, or pest and disease outbreaks will help you better manage and keep your stress levels down during their occurrence. While these events are something many of us don’t want to think about, being mentally prepared for these events now will save you a lot of stress and pressured decision making if they do occur.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Identify the types of disasters most likely to affect my business and what their impact could be	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Create a plan to manage the common impacts of disasters e.g. if 50% of my crop is destroyed, or if the water supply for livestock dries up	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Prepare home and farm for emergencies e.g. clean gutters, pack an emergency kit, purchase sand bags	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Resources that can help you prepare for disasters

Keeping on top of finances

Finances, cash flow and debt can be a massive cause of stress, particularly when your business is your livelihood and source of income. One way to reduce financial stress is to ensure you are doing everything you can to organise and manage your finances.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Explore short- and long-term ways to reduce costs e.g. reduce power costs with renewable energy, look into refinancing and consolidating debt, get new quotes on insurances	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Set up and maintain good financial record keeping e.g. use accounting software	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Chat with a financial advisor about my options (e.g. National Debt Helpline) or explore grant opportunities (e.g. grants and programs finder)	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Navigating red tape

Red tape can be a pain to any small business owner, causing additional paperwork and delays, and leading to frustration, stress and lack of motivation. While we can’t change the rules, being well prepared is one of the best ways to minimise the stress associated with navigating red tape.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Regularly update business records e.g. employee records, procedural changes in farm activities, registration renewal dates	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Look up rules and regulations in advance of decision making e.g. short-term labour approaching harvest time	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Seek advice and support as needed for business decisions e.g. through local business advisory services	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Resources that can help you manage red tape

Improving work-life balance

Maintaining a balance between work and home can be difficult, particularly if you live and work in the same place. Making a conscious effort to spend more time away from work can be helpful.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Finish work by a particular time a few days a week e.g. I’ll finish by 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Outsource some business elements e.g. bookkeeping, equipment maintenance	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Plan and schedule business and personal activities in advance e.g. holidays during off season	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Resources about work-life balance

Taking time off

Taking time off from work can be a small break for leisure and holidays, or can be an unexpected absence due to events like illness, floods or bushfires. Planning for how you will take time off now will make it easier when the time comes.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Develop a manual for running the business and regularly update it e.g. daily tasks to be completed	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Identify friends, family, or others who would be able to run the business e.g. the farmhand could take on additional duties	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Create a plan for what to do if part or all of your business is unable to function e.g. pest or disease outbreak prevents harvest	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Resources about planning to take time off

	Doing
Attend group and community activities e.g. sports team, volunteering, fundraisers	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Schedule a regular in-person catch-up with friends or family e.g. set aside one evening a fortnight for social activities	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Spend quality time with the people in my household e.g. weekly games night, monthly picnic	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Making time for myself

Making time for the things you enjoy doing will help you relax and recharge. When thinking about your interests, think of things that aren’t related to the work you do.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Schedule regular time to do things I enjoy e.g. monthly fishing trip or 4WD, weekly bike ride	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Develop a routine for unwinding at the end of each day to help you switch off e.g. shower, TV, reading, eating dinner	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Take some time to explore things that relax me or bring me joy e.g. trying new hobbies	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Videos of real small business owners sharing what they do to look after themselves

Exercising and physical activity

Working in agriculture can be physically demanding, but a physical job doesn’t always give you the same benefits as high intensity, short duration periods of activity, including the benefits to your mood. Depending on the type of work you do, you may spend more time operating machinery or overseeing farm workers than doing manual labour, so increasing your physical activity may still be a great addition for your overall wellbeing.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Set a realistic exercise schedule e.g. start exercising for 20 minutes twice a week	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Schedule social exercise e.g. walking with a friend or team sports	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Try new things to see what exercises I enjoy e.g. Yoga, boxing, weight lifting, running	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Resources about staying active

Keeping healthy

Our physical health has a big impact on our stress levels and mental health. Increasing some healthy habits will also help improve your wellbeing.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Eat enough fruit and vegetables e.g. two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables a day	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Drink more water e.g. drink two litres a day	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Cut back on alcohol consumption e.g. reduce by three standard drinks a week	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Getting a good night’s sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is important for your mood and how productive you are throughout the day. It will also help you with problem solving and better management of stressful situations. Think about how well you perform when you’re tired versus well rested.

Hint: select just one or two actions here to ensure your wellbeing plan is easy to action.

	Doing
Set a sleep schedule e.g. establish regular sleep and wake times	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Avoid unhelpful sleep behaviours e.g. screen time for half an hour before bed, coffee after 3pm	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Maintain a regular bedtime routine e.g. have a cup of tea and read for 20 minutes before sleep	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do
Other	Currently doing Would like to do Do not want to do

Useful links

Please select how often you would like to do each of the activities you have selected. Some recommended frequencies have been selected, but you can change these to be more or less often, depending on your preferences.

Activity	Doing?	How Often?

Introduction

Now let’s take a look at what stress looks like for you

Useful links

What would you like to focus on?

Preparing for disasters

Useful links

Keeping on top of finances

Useful links

Navigating red tape

Useful links

Improving work-life balance

Useful links

Taking time off

Useful links

Keeping connected

Useful links

Making time for myself

Useful links

Exercising and physical activity

Useful links

Keeping healthy

Useful links

Getting a good night’s sleep

Useful links

Rural Agribusiness Wellbeing Plan