Stockmanship for The Mind

When we're in a low mood, our thinking tends to become clouded, our perspective narrows, and we’re more likely to make decisions we later regret. So how do we get into a better headspace more of the time?
Do we need to change our mood? How? And if our feelings aren't the problem, what is? Is it the frustrating people around us? The demands of running a farm and managing staff? The endless things on our to-do list, the pressure we're under, or the feeling that there are never enough hours in the day?
What if the real problem isn't quite what we think it is?
What if it's the unhelpful thinking we innocently mistake for the truth? The assumptions we make, the stories we tell ourselves, and the conclusions we jump to without questioning them?
When we're feeling anxious, frustrated, angry or down, could we be seeing things through a distorted lens without even realising it? And could that be affecting how we make decisions, how we treat the people around us, and how we experience everyday life? 
What if all we need to do is look to see if that's happening for us.
Could it really be that simple?

James Turner from Farming For Good and Chris Evans, a beef and sheep farmer, join me for a conversation about the importance of community — and how having a space where you can ask anything, even if you think it might be a silly question, can open the door to new ideas.
Farming For Good runs a RAP (Regen Accelerator Programme), which Chris is part of. In this episode, we hear how a group of farmers who didn’t really know each other have come together, built friendships and started exploring the potential of regenerative agriculture on their own farms.
It’s a fun, light-hearted chat about trying something different, learning from others and the things we really need to make a change in our lives.
Join us for a conversation about community, curiosity and the courage to ask questions.

We’ve all been there.
The jobs that haven’t been done. The things that should have been done yesterday. The person who hasn’t done what they said they would do. And that growing feeling that if I don’t get annoyed about this, nothing is going to get done!
On a farm, this can escalate pretty quickly.
There’s always another job waiting. The to-do list is about as long as the driveway, and when other people aren’t doing things the way we think they should, it’s easy to get stressed, frustrated, angry… or all three.
And, to be fair, it can feel completely justified.
If they had just done what we asked, when we asked, and how we asked them to do it, there wouldn’t be a problem — right?
And surely, if we stop giving ourselves a hard time about all the things we haven’t done, we’ll just get even further behind?
But what if there’s another way of looking at it?
Could we actually get more done, feel better and have better relationships without all the stress, frustration and pressure?
What if all that thinking — however justified it feels — is actually just noise? Noise that uses up our energy, clouds our thinking and gets in the way of seeing the obvious solution.
In this episode, we explore what might happen when we stop using stress and self-criticism as our fuel — and start seeing what becomes possible when our minds are a little quieter.

What if one change in mindset could transform your whole farm? 🌱
In this episode, Duncan Bennett — farmer and member of the groundbreaking Upper Onny Farmers Group — shares the story of a mindset shift that happened almost overnight.
And the results?
🌱 Healthier soil🦋 More wildlife🚜 A different approach to farming👨‍👩‍👧 More time with family and friends💭 And a huge personal impact on Duncan himself
Duncan’s story is honest, thought-provoking and incredibly inspiring. It’s a fascinating look at what can happen when we challenge the way we’ve always done things and start thinking differently about farming.
🎧 Come and join us for this brilliant conversation — you might just see farming through a different lens.
#Farming #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #Farmers #SustainableFarming #Wildlife #Agriculture

“They’re driving me insane!” - New Podcast Episode from Stockmanship for the Mind
Sometimes other people can really hack us off.
And in farming, where you often live and work alongside the same people day in, day out, disagreements can turn into feuds — and it can be incredibly hard to move past.
When you’re caught up in a disagreement, it can become all-consuming.
It takes up headspace and energy that could otherwise go into running the farm, thinking about the future, exploring new ideas and technology, or keeping up with ever-tightening regulation.
But who are we really fighting in a feud?
It looks like it’s the other person.
The brother.
The dad.
The mother-in-law.
The business partner.
But is it?
What if it’s less clear-cut than that?
Think about a time you’ve felt really angry with someone when they weren’t even there.
You’re going about your day, but suddenly you’re ruminating about that person.
The frustration comes back.
The hurt feelings.
The anger.
Perhaps even hatred.
But if they aren’t there when we’re experiencing all those feelings, how can they be the cause of them?
I’m proposing a different way of looking at it.
What if our own thoughts have a role to play when someone else is “driving us crazy”?
What if, when our mood dips, we become more likely to get caught up in our habitual negative thinking? What if we’re like a magnet for it?
And what if, without even realising it’s happening, we can slip into a state of bad feeling that starts to affect everything around us?
Our relationships.
Our decision-making.
Our ability to see new possibilities.
And ultimately, the whole farm business.
Maybe the person we think we’re fighting isn’t the whole story.
Maybe there’s something else going on — and recognising that could be the first step towards getting unstuck.

Cath Landles, Community and Landscape Officer for the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, joins us to share the inspiring story of working with the Upper Onny Farmers Group.
Cath talks about helping farmers to look at their own farms with fresh eyes — and what happened when they did. As they began to see their land differently, they discovered new opportunities, grew in confidence, and started to see their farms, their communities and their future from a whole new perspective.
It’s a lovely conversation with a lovely guest, full of insight, optimism and inspiration.
Come along, have a listen and join us! 😊

Have you ever felt that you don't fit in? That it's just too hard to try something new? Have you ever worried what people think of you?
These are some of the things that Gareth, as a gay new entrant to farming, has grappled with over the last few years.
Now a herdsperson at the Harper Adams future farm, working for Shropshire Rural Support and also being the adoptive Dad to two boys, his story is inspiring on so many levels.
Join us for a lovely chat about where life takes us, seeing past our preconceived ideas and realising that we all have waaaaay more capability than we realise. 

We all know that life feels better in a good headspace right? So what do we do when we find ourselves in a bad mood, everything looks hard and we feel rubbish?
Its kind of tempting to think that something about our life or ourselves needs to change in order for us to feel better. How many of us have made big decisions from that place of ‘I just can’t take this anymore!?’
But what if there’s a bigger perspective that we are missing?
What if those difficult feelings that we just want to get away from are actually giving us valuable information? What if they are letting us know that we’ve got stuck in some low-quality thinking?
What if ‘I just can’t take this anymore’ is exactly right, but it's our current thinking we need to ditch before we can see anything clearly? What if that’s part of the rollercoaster of human mood and, we’re just getting a little red flag to let us know not to make any decisions until we feel better?
What if we see our life the most clearly when we feel OK? When we’re calm and at peace? What if thats the time to make decisions?

Have you heard the phrase 'It's OK to not be OK?' What does that even mean? How is it possible to have peace of mind when everything is going wrong and it feels like we're going to implode/explode!? When we've got the toxins of anxiety coursing through our veins, when we're drowning in remorse or shame, when we're grieving? 
How do we embrace those difficult times? Even when we didn't choose them? How do we have that experience without getting lost or taken down by it? 

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get caught up in the stories we tell ourselves?
For many of us, there's a quiet narrative running in the background of our mind:
"Am I good enough?""What do people think of me?""Why does this always seem to happen to me?"
When life is going smoothly, we may barely notice these stories. But when we're faced with challenges—grief, illness, the end of a relationship, or simply a difficult period in life—they can suddenly feel very real, colouring the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world around us.
What if those stories aren't the truth? What if they're simply thoughts passing through, like a heavy weather system, however convincing they may seem?
In this episode, we explore what becomes possible when we begin to see our stories for what they are and gently let them go. We talk about how an understanding of the Three Principles can bring comfort, perspective, and a deeper sense of wellbeing, even in the midst of life's toughest moments.
My guest is Jamie, a Hampshire dairy farmer, coach, and Three Principles practitioner. Alongside running a busy farm, Jamie also manages a glamping site, fishing lakes, a training centre, and meeting space at Meon Springs. https://www.meonsprings.com/
This is a warm and honest conversation about resilience, perspective, and the freedom that can come when we stop carrying stories that no longer serve us.