EP 76-Is Burnout In Agriculture Normal?

Why is burnout in agriculture normal and not a personal failure? Today we cover just that in this episode. Everyone in the agriculture industry has felt the overwhelming feeling of burnout, but not many talk about it. Burnout is a normal response to the realities of this industry. Early mornings, late nights, weather risks, and market swings are all everyday occurrences when in the agriculture world. Burnout thrives with three ingredients. Think of it as a storm, without the right factors, a storm cannot occur. In burnout, it thrives in high responsibility, low control, and long term stress. Farmers and ranchers all face two of these factors everyday. Rather they are caring for livestock, land, finances, or employees these bring long term stress and high responsibility. Control? Is VERY limited. You cannot control the weather. You cannot control the markets. This imbalance, responsibility without control, is the perfect situation for chronic stress. Chronic stress is what drives burnout. In agriculture, toughness is part of the culture. Resilience is celebrated. Hard work is expected. So when burnout does hit, many people don’t see it as a predictable outcome of stress. They see it as a weakness. Even the most dedicated, capable people experience burnout. Most commonly, burnout is in the most dedicated individuals. Unlike injury or illness, burnout doesn’t show up in a blood test or an x-ray. It creeps in slowly. Burnout does not mean you don’t love agriculture, it doesn’t mean your not cut out for this life. It simply means you’ve been carrying too much for too long. Talking to someone isn’t a weakness, it’s maintenance. Just like a system needs upkeep, we do too.