Number of burn-outs on agricultural holdings is increasing

Many agricultural entrepreneurs are under pressure, as a result of which the number of people with burnout is increasing. The problem is that the complaints are often noticed too late, ignored or underestimated for too long. This pressure often has financial, relational and/or psychological causes. Approximately 1 million of the Dutch working population suffer from burnout. But what exactly is a burnout?

Burnout literally means burned out. Someone with a burnout does not have a good balance between gaining energy (necessary to perform daily work) and using energy. This leads to an imbalance in energy management. This creates a disturbance between what you can handle (carrying capacity) and what you have to do (carrying load).

Causes
There are many causes that can lead to burnout. In most cases, it is a combination of factors that lead to failure:

• overload,
• Not setting healthy boundaries
• High expectations,
• Can't give up anything,
• Lack of support or assistance,
• Poor work-life balance,
• psychological pressure,
• Relational pressure.

Common complaints
Complaints that can accompany a burnout are: fatigue, feeling of exhaustion, worrying, being overprotective, depressed feelings, loss of concentration, dreading work, insomnia, dreading personal contacts, pain in the muscles, neck or back, headache , increased irritability, no longer finding relaxation and/or complaints about stomach and intestines.

People who are close to someone with a burnout often see that the complaints have been going on for longer or are getting worse. Admitting that something is wrong seems like a big step for many entrepreneurs. People often have a sense of failure, and often feel inadequate when they admit they have a burnout.

Effects
The consequences of burnout are far-reaching. If you (partially) disappear as an agricultural entrepreneur, you will run into long-term practical, financial and emotional problems. The continuity of your company is at risk. The recovery process from burnout can easily take several years. Entrepreneurs are often inclined to pick up work too quickly, but that does not solve the core of the problems. The result is that people do not really recover, and the damage in the long term increases.

Solutions and Tips
How should it be? The saying rightly says that 'prevention is always better than cure'. This means that you have to listen carefully to your body and use your time critically. Recovery begins with recognizing and discussing the problems and the willingness to work on them. Only then is recovery possible.

• Call in help: consult your doctor and, if necessary, hire a coach who can guide you.
• Recovery goes via regaining your energy balance to a change in thought patterns (about yourself, your environment and your work) and results in a structural change in behavior (healthy boundaries, structure in your life/company, work-life balance).

As a coach for agricultural entrepreneurs, I regularly guide people with burnout. I notice with them that it can be a great relief to acknowledge the complaints and to get started with them. There are entrepreneurs who indicate that they want help, but are ashamed or afraid of the costs. That is very understandable. Ask yourself what it will cost you and what the long-term consequences will be.

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Dik Veefkind is an agricultural coach and mediator at AgroCoach. In his blogs he focuses on the psychological challenges of the farmer, such as burnouts and business conflicts. He also supports people entering the grounds in difficult situations.

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