What's all the hoopla about mindfulness and is any of it relevant to farmers? Although the concept is a couple of thousand years old, it's been reinvigorated by findings from western researchers in the past few decades. Mindfulness is a practice that naturally fits with farming and likely has been practiced by farmers for centuries without ever calling it by name. Mindfulness is about being in the present moment and being focused and attentive to what you're doing in the present moment, as opposed to, for example, thinking about that went wrong the day before or worrying about the future. 

It may sound ridiculous but it's not. Scientific evidence shows that we actually feel a lot better about ourselves and our situation when we remember to feel grateful for what is good and practice this every day.  

Optimism and hope are key, but what if you don't feel optimistic? There are important ways that you can learn to change how you think that will leave you feeling better about your situation. Even if things really are falling apart, wouldn't it be better if you could maintain an inner sense of calm and energy to take the actions needed? If you want help with this, click on the link in the right sidebar and ask to connect with one of our Farm First counselors.