Human Factors

Strengths : Stress : Change : Help

Strengths

No two people are the same and we all have different strengths at different levels. Studies show people who work on developing their strengths in the following factors tend to improve their overall performance.

Motivation And Determination: This is the key common factor found in studies of successful farmers: Do not lose interest during hard times – minimise losses and look forward to positioning yourself to take advantage of the good times with positive thinking.

Decision-Making Skills: Develop an ability to plan, decide on which steps to take and stick with your plan while constantly updating it. This differs from continually changing your mind as circumstances dictate.

Record, Monitor, Prioritise: Take pride in keeping useful records, focus on high impact priorities and look for continual small improvements.

Gracious with People, Ruthless with Money

Spouse/partner Closely Involved in Decision- Making

Consultation and Planning: A Problem Shared Is A Problem Halved: Talk with friends, neighbours, Rural Support people, bankers, advisors, discussion groups, Federated Farmers, community support networks or anybody prepared to listen.

Seekers Of Information: High earners recognise it is what you learn after you know it all that counts. Listen to top advice, then make up your own mind whether to follow it.

Work Hard And Smart: Recognise that planning, discipline and goal setting are just as important as hard work.

Common signs of stress

Some of these signs may be part of normal behaviour and even personality. We are the best people to identify changes relating to stress in ourselves, our friends, family members and neighbours. Keep an eye out for each other, we’re in this together.

Stress Management

Areas we need to look at when managing our own stress levels:

• Friendship and support
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Leisure/recreational pursuits
• Time Management
• Goal Setting
• Delegation of Responsibility
• Reducing demands
• Counselling

Warning Bells

The following points have been identified as signs all is not well in a particular situation, whether there is a drought or not. If you can spot the warning signs then you can make changes before the worst happens - the old adage is true: A fence at the top of the cliff is better than an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. The issues can then be addressed before the problems become unmanageable.

Signals and behaviour signs farmers and farm families should recognise as warnings:

• Less than total frankness with family and financiers
• Peak overdraft greater than 30% of GFI over several years
• Personal expenses always greater than 45% of net farm income
• Plant purchases always on hire purchase
• Debt servicing ratio climbing slowly but steadily
• Interest and/or rent payments greater than 30% of GFI
• Ratio of farm working expenses to GFI out of balance for number of years
• Tendency to spend on unproductive assets, such as cars or a house
• GFI to market value of plant (including car) is two or less, indicating too much of income is needed to replace plant
• Tendency to lack job satisfaction
• Not matching a structural problem with a structural solution

Behaviour signs with friends, neighbours and support people could recognise:

• As stress mounts, withdrawal and a reluctance to plan medium to long-term is common
• Along with low job satisfaction, decision making virtually stops
• Behavioural changes among children at school

Understanding Change

It is almost common knowledge now that people go through stages following significant change. We can see this in the reactions by farmers to the harsh conditions they are now experiencing. Years ago they became accustomed to the ebb and flow of farming income, they expected good and bad years and they planned for them.

But more recently, with the bumps ironed out, farmers have become accustomed to new and more comfortable economic conditions. During times of drought, however, many farmers have lost this state of comfort. A significant loss it is too - it is not just a temporary setback - and intuitively knowing this, the farming community has started to exhibit predictable stages of grief. Some people go through these stages slowly, others race through them, each of us is different and we all react to change in different ways and at different speeds.

Shock and Denial: Often the first reaction to grief is total shock and denial - we feel numb and exposed. A common response is to hope it hasn’t happened, or to deny its reality or its size. We minimalise the situation: “It’s not that bad, it’ll go away soon.” Sometimes we’re right but if the situation doesn’t go away we shift to the next phase, anger.

Anger: Often we feel irrational emotions. We get annoyed with everything and any spark can set us alight. We hit out at those we are closest to, which makes us feel worse. We then get an attack of the ‘guilts’. We know it’s unfair to strike out and so we promise not to let it happen again. But that can be a little like storing up fire crackers: the next explosion can be even greater and we can be left feeling even worse.

Blame: Avoidance of anger can lead to another inevitable consequence, we tend to blame, saying: “It’s their fault, why did you allow me to get into this mess?” In this way we often blame the wrong people and can drive away the very support that is essential to our wellbeing.

Depression and detachment: This can lead to the next stage, characterised by the outburst: “Nothing is going right, nothing makes any difference, I may as well give up.” This is when depression really kicks in, this is hitting rock bottom: ‘the pits’. We lack energy, and we retreat from activities and from people. We may feel overwhelmed by sadness or crying. It is also the start of healthy adjustment, you’re no longer denying the situation and reality sets in. During this stage the grim truth is faced and it hurts. Slowly power does come back. Accepting reality helps us see our way through the challenges. Then the next stage sets in: dialogue.

Dialogue: Here we seek alternatives and discover how realistic they are. We try things out. We get into discussion with the outside world. We reach out to others and find we are able to talk about it all. We slowly find meaning in what has happened.

Acceptance: Each of the preceeding stages leads to acceptance. We’ve faced the facts, we’ve explored the options, we’ve put a new plan in place. Often as we return to meaningful life we may not be better off than we were before but if we accept the way we feel, talk through the issues and get help from others there is a good chance we will end up stronger than we were before the difficulties occured. A renewed sense of self esteem and security follows, we know we can meet and beat challenges. It’s true: what doesn’t destroy us makes us stronger.

Help

A smart person asks for help: 0800 HB RELIEF (0800 427 354)

Financial assistance may be available from Work and Income for farmers and farm workers who have lost income and are facing hardship as a result of the recent drought. The amount of money people can receive depends on their need - generally, one-off payments for food, accommodation and other essential expenses would aim to meet the immediate needs of the person and their family.

Assistance may be in the form of special needs grants and advances, unemployment benefits, emergency benefits or recoverable assistance payments.

Any New Zealand citizen or permanent resident can apply for assistance if they have an immediate and essential need or can’t work, return to work or get paid from their work (this assistance is income and asset tested and may have to be repaid).

Call 0800 778 008 to find out more – we have rural staff connected to the Regional Drought Committee who can steer you in the right direction and they can also visit you at home.