Staying connected in challenging times
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Regional Men’s Health Initiative are working together to remind the community of the importance of staying connected in challenging times.
In agriculture, the biggest stresses are things that cannot be controlled such as weather issues, followed by a multitude of other factors such as commodity prices, input costs and machinery breakdowns.
Challenging seasons affect the whole community including farmers, people involved in agribusiness and those in the agri-link industries.
No one can change the weather, but we can manage our programs and control our business as best we can which importantly includes looking after ourselves and each other.
Remaining connected is one way of doing this.
Rural communities have an innate capacity to reach out, and organise and participate in many activities.
This allows communities, as a collective, to start a conversation.
It also gives permission for blokes to recognise and talk about some of the individual pain and distress that is often suffered alone.
We describe primary care as ‘what can we do to look after ourselves and others’.
Invariably it is about connection and some simple things we can do to stay connected include:
- Talk to a mate and realise that we are not alone
- Talk to whoever needs to be informed about our situation (family, financiers, advisors)
- Keep an eye on others – drop into a neighbour and have a chat and a coffee. Take the time to ask someone ’are you okay?’
- Slow the pace of your life a little, join a group that fits in with your passions and interests. It will make a difference
- Maintain our sense of humour, laugh at ourselves and with others.
Staying connected is important and something we must actively work on.
The Regional Men’s Health Initiative
delivered by Wheatbelt Men’s Health (Inc.)
PO Box 768, Northam WA 6401
Phone: 08 9690 2277
Email: menshealth@4blokes.com.au
www.regionalmenshealth.com.au
