Our Stories
Harvest Time Stress & 10 Minutes of Sanity
Some seasons stretch you thin
If you farm in Stirling, Belleville, or anywhere across rural Ontario, you know harvest isn't just busy. It's full-on pressure. Everything depends on weather, machinery, timing, and endurance. And there’s never enough of any of those.
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For many farmers, harvest is when stress peaks. Sleep disappears. Tempers run short. And mental health starts to crack under the weight of responsibility.
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This is common. And it’s real.
Farming pushes limits. Your brain feels it too.
Most farmers are used to pushing through. You stay in the cab longer. Skip meals. Run repairs when your hands are shaking from exhaustion. It’s what the job demands.
But your body and your mind have limits. When stress builds without a break, it affects more than the work. It hits your sleep, your focus, your mood, and the people around you.
In sessions with men and rural workers, this always comes up. Mental health in agriculture is not a luxury. It is part of survival.
Ten minutes might be all you get. Take it anyway.
You do not need hours off the job to reset. But a few minutes can help clear your head and slow your system.
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Here are small ways to claim space in the middle of the chaos:
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Step away from the noise and stretch
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Sit in silence for five minutes between tasks
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Walk the edge of the field before starting again
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Focus on your breath. No fixing. No problem-solving. Just pause
This is what stress management looks like in real life. It is not perfect. But it helps you get through the day without burning out.
Quiet help for loud seasons
At Parsons Therapy, we support farmers, tradespeople, and men across rural Ontario. Not with lectures or pressure. Just with space to talk about the mental load no one else sees.
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If this time of year feels like too much, you are not weak. You are human. The pressure is real. The weight is heavy. And talking about it is not a sign of failure. It is a sign you are still showing up.
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Even in harvest season, ten minutes of clarity can go a long way.