STRESS RELIEF ON THE FARM
DID YOU KNOW THAT REPETITIVE FARM TASKS CAN BE A STRESS RELIEVER?
When you’re feeling stressed, it may be a good time to pull out your Hotsy and spray down your equipment. We’ve heard from some farmers that cleaning your machinery with a pressure washer is a huge stress reliever on the farm. Additionally, there is evidence to support that mundane tasks in general, can be a great stress reliever.
In a recent study by Tel Aviv University, researchers found that repetitive behaviour in both humans and animals evolved as a method to induce calm and relieve stress.
IT’S A BUILT-IN SYSTEM, HARDWIRED TO HELP US CALM DOWN.
The study concluded that the nature of mundane tasks, especially repetitive ones such as gardening, fishing, or even cleaning your equipment provides “some modicum of control back into the hands of the individual — a maneuver that helps to improve confidence and self-assurance in situations that would be otherwise out of our control.”
Essentially, repetitive tasks can make us feel better. So the next time you’re feeling stressed out, maybe you can grab your hose and spray that stress away.
American Friends of Tel Aviv University. "Finding relief in ritual: A healthy dose of repetitive behavior reduces anxiety, says researcher." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 November 2011 <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922093324.htm>
Article by Dr Rebecca Purc-Stephenson
Applied Social Psychologist and Professor in the Department of Social Sciences
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