Lucy - Farmer, Halls Creek NSW

My picture of the struggle in farmer mental health is:

Some of the glimmer/joyful moments that reflect farmer mental health for me:

Riding my horse behind some cattle, or seeing a working dog develop some skills, sharing the odd ‘win’ with my husband.

A little more about Lucy:

My husband, two kids and I have a beef cattle and sheep (wool & fat lambs) farm. I was working off-farm as a Registered Nurse up until a couple of years ago when I decided that I was wearing too many hats and at least one of them had to go! Life as a full-time farmer is challenging but I can now focus more on what’s important and seize opportunities when they arise. During the drought, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and suddenly I found myself deep-diving into understanding myself better. I’ve become kinder to myself. It was at that time that I found writing to be super-helpful in getting thoughts out of my head and also connecting with others. Honoured to be a part of this important project - thanks for the bait, Steph!!