Dr Bill Howatt from Howatt HR is back delivering more valuable micro-skill webinars in maintaining mental fitness. Dr. Howatt presented at the FSNS Annual Meeting in December 2020, on the topic of Mental Fitness 101: Foundational Elements to Building a Mental Fitness Plan, and then again, we welcomed members of his team to present on Coping with Isolation and Loneliness in February 2021 and Navigating Crisis in March of 2021. To view recordings of these webinars e-mail info@farmsafetyns.ca or call 902-893-2293.
Over the next few months Farm Safety will follow Dr Howatt and share a summary of the skills presented in the latest webinars in our E-News and on social media. Be sure to sign up for the E-News and follow us on Facebook and Twitter @farmsafetyns.
Moving Away from Loneliness Starts Within:
The first episode of Maintaining Mental Fitness Season 2 is on the topic of moving away from loneliness starts within. As we come out of lockdown and go full speed ahead into the busy farming spring and summer seasons, we are reminded to charge our batteries to promote positive mental health. Keeping in mind we need to be intentional about our mental health.
Experiencing Loneliness
Dr Howatt says the core pillar of good mental health is being comfortable within one’s own skin. He says it is harder to experience loneliness when we are safe within our own thoughts. The unconscious brain is listening and learning from the thoughts we accept as true, and that influences our emotions that impact behavioural choices.
An interesting quote from his new book, The Cure for Loneliness, “When we see fault with what we see in the mirror, we are prone to believe others see the same thing.”
Having a Relationship Within
How many of us participate in self-abuse especially when something happens on the farm such as a weather event where we feel we could have prevented losses if we just did one more thing, or a loss of an animal, or even a reduced yield of a crop. Self-abuse can be as or more damaging than external abuse according to Dr Howatt. He says having a relationship from within begins by stopping self-abuse and setting a rule of no tolerance for negative self-talk about one’s values, worth, or abilities.
In these situations, on the farm where we are being challenged, what we say to ourselves impacts out thoughts, emotions, behaviors and plays a role in loneliness.
Tips for becoming more comfortable within:
To track your feelings daily, use the HUGR Authentic Connections App. Visit the We Talk We Grow Website and scroll to Mobile Apps to Support Mental Health and Wellness and Click to download.
Visit https://maintainingmentalfitness.com/ to watch the full webinar. It is only about 20 minutes.
