We are in the midst of vacation season, and yes even farmers and ranchers need a getaway too.
Farm and Ranch Life is Stressful
Being a farmer or rancher is truly an awesome life, but sometimes you just can’t bat 1,000 no matter how hard you try. Being a rancher is having every emotion imaginable in a short amount of time. Anger when you and mother nature just don’t seem to be agreeing on things. Frustration when work doesn’t get done because of mother nature, or when your farm help can’t read your mind. Happiness when things seem to be going your way and everything is sunshine and rainbows. All these emotions can give you very a overwhelming feeling, especially when they all occur in one week. That’s when a vacation is necessary and highly recommended. Time away from the ranch will really get your mind back on track. It’s alright to enjoy yourself sometimes.
The Feeling of Burnout is too Real
We all know how much you’ve already invested into your farm or ranch. So much time, money, and stress are put into your job every single day, because let’s face it there are no off days. When it comes to stress, it knows no mercy. Sometimes you cannot win for losing and it’s constantly just one thing after another and that can really take a toll on you, and your mind. That’s when you need to take a step back and clear your head, because you love your farm, you two are just going through a rough patch right now. You just have to remind yourself that you love it and not to throw in the towel just because things aren’t going your way. Try getting away and see how you feel. For your mental health’s sake, take a break for a weekend getaway, believe me, your brain and family will thank you.
Get Out of Your Box
It’s always great to see the world outside of the farm. Sometimes farmers and ranchers don’t make it out of the 20 mile radius of their homes for several months at a time, so it’s always good to see what’s happening outside the fences. Get out of your little bubble and see some different scenery. See something new or even something you just haven’t seen in awhile. Even if it’s just visiting another farm vacation, or a homestead vacation, every place is different. You might enjoy seeing how someone else does things. It might give you some ideas to try back home. So, plan a weekend getaway, clear your head, and find that “Aha Moment” you’ve been looking for.
Family Time
The busy seasons on the farm mean long, countless hours which lead to less and less time spent with family. Vacations with the family are a great way to get to spend time together to make up for the time lost during the busy season. The busy season isn’t just hard on you, it’s hard on your family as well. So, don’t be afraid to leave the farm, it’ll be good for you and your family. Although, it’s very understandable to want to stay, staying is the easy way out of having to make plans to be away.
You Need to Take Care of Yourself
Being a farmer and a rancher is such a thankless job. But, you don’t do it for the thank yous, you do it for the love of the livestock and land. You do it because ultimately you are a part of something bigger than yourself. That reason alone is enough to drive and motivate you every single day. The work may not not be easy on your body or mind, but you love every minute of it, most days. All the stress of the job can wear you down, so you have to care for yourself in order to keep living this life Taking care of yourself may involve getting some extra sleep, calling it an early night once a week, or even just having a “staycation”. Taking care of yourself means taking a break every now and then to recharge. It’s ok to take a weekend to reevaluate things, because the you can rally when you return back to the ranch.
