This Isn’t Normal: Calling Out the Quiet Crisis in Rural Mental Health [episode 114]
Listen to This Isn’t Normal: Calling Out the Quiet Crisis in Rural Mental Health on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | your platform of choice
I recently saw a meme that said, “You can’t hurt my feelings. I ranch with my family.”
While it’s meant to be funny, I’ll be honest – it made my stomach drop a little. The truth is, just because we don’t feel something, it doesn’t mean we aren’t hurting.
In today’s episode, I’m calling out the quiet crisis in rural mental health. So many of us in agriculture have had to numb ourselves just to get through the day.
But that numbness didn’t come out of nowhere. It came from surviving, and it’s NOT sustainable. We can’t pretend it isn’t costing us something!
There are sooo many things that are out of our control in this lifestyle, but what breaks my heart is how few safe spaces we have to actually talk about how HARD this is. Stoicism is the air we breathe, and toughness is our love language.
We’re raised to grit our teeth and push through, but it’s costing us our lives.
What can we do to change this? We start by getting honest with ourselves, checking in with our people, and creating spaces where we’re allowed to struggle (without shame).
If you’re listening today and you’re carrying something heavy, please know that you don’t have to wait until it breaks you. Reach out and let someone share the load with you, because you’re NOT meant to do this alone!
In this episode, This Isn’t Normal: Calling Out the Quiet Crisis in Rural Mental Health, I cover:
- The alarming & heartbreaking suicide statistics impacting rural America
- Why “toughness” and numbness aren’t working + what rural communities need MORE of
- How to start honest conversations that go deeper than surface-level check-ins
- What we CAN do to support rural mental health + create real, safe spaces for ourselves & others
Resources & Links:
- Schedule a free consult and see if 1:1 Good Movement Guidance is right for you
- Check out my merch shop
- Join the waitlist for the Good Movement Collective
- Good Movement music by: Aaron Espe
- Podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting
Connect with Terryn:
- Follow on Instagram @terryn.drieling
- Check out my website
- Send me an email at terryn@terryndrieling.com
Related Episodes:
- Episode 20: An Unpopular Opinion – I Don’t Find the Humor Worth the Harm
- Episode 25: The ‘Thick Skin’ Myth and How We View Emotions in Rural America
- Episode 105: Comfortably Numb: When Calm Becomes Disconnection
More about the Good Movement Draws Good Movement podcast:
In stockmanship (the art and science of handling cattle in a safe, effective, low-stress manner), we have this phrase . . . good movement draws good movement.
It’s this thing that happens when we ask a small group of cattle, maybe a cow, or a pair to move out in a certain direction, and their movement draws the whole herd into moving in the same direction.
Good movement happens when we approach the cattle with a positive attitude, read and really listen to what they’re telling us, and communicate accordingly.
We don’t approach the aware, flighty cattle the same as we do the tame, docile cattle. We adjust ourselves, our energy, and approach, and communicate with each differently.
These adjustments help us effectively draw good movement from each, which then draws good movement from the herd. But it starts with us.
The same is true for humans. Good movement starts with us.
Welcome to Good Movement Draws Good Movement, the podcast where farmers, ranchers, and rural folks can grow relationally through awareness, understanding, and effective communication.
Hey, it’s me – T. I’m your host, and I, along with my guests, will be covering topics related to drawing good movement – things like self and social awareness, brain science, positive psychology, extending grace, and so much more.
We’ll share tools that can help you understand why you are the way you are, why others are the way they are, and how you can use that to step out of self-told lies with grace and compassion to draw good movement in conversations, relationships, and life in rural America.
Tune in every Tuesday and make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode! Let’s go draw good movement!
