| This week, HSE's Working Minds campaign is partnering with the Mind your Head campaign by the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF), or Yellow Wellies as known by many, to raise awareness of how to spot the signs of stress and act before it becomes a problem. We're calling for everyone involved in British agriculture to recognise and respond to the signs of work-related stress so that dealing with it becomes routine and common place. Where to begin? Reach out: make time to reach out to the people you work with and check in on how they're feeling and coping. Starting the conversation isn't always easy, but it's always worth it and is an important first step. Recognise: if you recognise someone is struggling, encourage them to talk about it. Keep an eye out for signs of stress such as someone seeming more withdrawn, sensitive or aggressive. Respond: having positive relationships and good support is key to helping people to cope when demands and pressures start to feel too much. Other things to consider include how much control someone has over their work and if any recent changes could be impacting them. Reflect: take a moment to reflect on this last year; the ups and the downs, what worked and what didn't. Did you recognise and respond to the signs of stress in yourself and your teams as best you could? What could you do differently this year to better support your workers and make mental health a priority? Speak to your workers to get their ideas on what can be done to prevent, reduce or tackle any problems identified. Make it Routine: The important thing is to make talking about stress and how people are feeling and coping a normal part of everyday working life. Take regular opportunities to check-in on mental health and stress, assessing the risks from any hazard is not a one-off process - things change. Whether you're a small family farm or a large multi site producer, employers have a legal duty to identify risks and agree ways to prevent and manage work-related stress and support good mental health. Visit our website for advice for managers on mental ill health. Read the blog: 'ask twice' "Sometimes we say "I'm okay" when we're really not...if you really want to help someone, ask twice and let's deal with farming's mental health issues head on." Research from the Farm Safety Foundation found that 92% of farmers under the age of 40 said that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today. Additionally, the recent R.A.B.I Big Farming Survey revealed that 36% of the farming community in the UK are 'probably' or 'possibly' depressed. Read the blog in full by Stephanie Berkeley, Manager for the FSF. View more information on Working Minds and the FSF. HSE's Talking Toolkits are available to download and are designed to help managers talk with workers as part of their overall approach to preventing and managing work-related stress. | 
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