As the headers start rolling and the to-do lists stretch longer than the days, it’s easy to feel stretched thin.
In this final episode of From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land — a series proudly supported by Ski for Life — Steph Schmidt wraps up the 10-part journey with her Top 10 Tips for navigating harvest, end-of-year pressure, and everything in between.

From noticing early warning signs of stress to holding onto the AND (the reminder that we can love the life we live and still find it hard), this episode pulls together the biggest lessons from across the series — the practical, real-life tools that help farmers, families, and communities move from stress to strength.

Steph also shares updates about the Farm Life Handbook, an online hub of videos, tools, and tip sheets to help you fill your silo and find your AND through every season.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why noticing stress early makes the biggest difference

• How to check your capacity (and give yourself permission to let go)

• The power of teamwork and repair during high-pressure times

• Sleep, communication, and micro-moments that refill your tank

• A gentle reminder that you’re human — and that’s enough

👉 Explore more tools and tip sheets at www.farmlifehandbook.com.au

🎧 Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, and share this episode with someone who could use a reminder that they’re not alone this harvest.

Disclaimer:
From Stress to Strength shares general wellbeing strategies and is not a substitute for professional advice.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, or 000 in an emergency.

When life feels like it’s out of your control — when the rain won’t come, prices drop, or your energy’s running low — it’s easy to feel stuck. In this episode, Steph explores how to make meaningful choices even when the situation itself can’t be changed.

Drawing on her background as a psychologist and her lived experience on the farm, Steph introduces the Noticing Map, a practical tool to help you pause, reflect, and act in ways that align with your values. You’ll learn how to:

• Step back from the noise and identify what really matters to you right now.

• Notice the thoughts and emotions pulling you off track.

• Recognise your go-to coping strategies—helpful and unhelpful.

• Choose one small, workable action that moves you toward the person you want to be.

It’s not about pretending things are easy—it’s about finding your next step forward.

🎧 From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land is part of the Farm Life Psych with Steph Schmidt podcast, proudly supported by Ski for Life, promoting mental health and suicide prevention across rural Australia.

🛠 Key Takeaway: Even when we can’t change our circumstances, we can choose how we show up. Small, intentional choices—grounded in our values—help us move from stress toward strength.

Check out the Farm Life Handbook for videos and resources to help you navigate farming life: www.farmlifehandbook.com.au

Connect with Steph:

www.https://www.instagram.com/stephschmidt.farmlifepsych/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephschmidtfarmlifepsych/

⚠️ Disclaimer

This podcast shares general information, reflections, and strategies for wellbeing and mental health, but it is not a substitute for professional or clinical advice. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support.

In Australia, you can contact:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

If you are in crisis or need immediate help, please call 000 or visit your nearest hospital emergency department.

Ever found yourself lying in bed at 3 a.m., replaying the to-do list, worrying about the weather, or planning tomorrow’s jobs? You’re not alone.

In this episode of From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land, Steph dives into one of the first things we sacrifice when life on the farm gets hectic — sleep. It’s not a luxury or something “soft and fluffy.” It’s fuel. The thing that keeps our bodies and minds running well enough to get through the day (and all those long nights).

Steph explores:

• Why sleep matters more than we often admit

• How stress messes with our ability to switch off

• Practical strategies to help your body and brain wind down, including progressive muscle relaxation, yoga nidra, and cognitive shuffling (yes, it’s a real thing — and surprisingly effective)

• Simple wind-down habits that actually work for farm life

Whether you’re feeding out, in the header, or wide awake at midnight, this episode offers small, doable ways to rest, recharge, and reclaim some decent shut-eye.

Listen to Episode 8 now:
🎙 From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land — part of Farm Life Psych with Steph Schmidt.
Proudly supported by Ski for Life, promoting mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention across rural communities.

Find more tools for your Farm Life Handbook here:

- www.farmlifehandbook.com.au

Connect with Steph online:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stephschmidt.farmlifepsych/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephschmidtfarmlifepsych/

Resources mentioned:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (free guides on YouTube or Insight Timer)

• Yoga Nidra sleep meditations (Spotify/Insight Timer)

• “The Pocket Psychologist” on Instagram for cognitive shuffling tips

  
  

If you’re struggling with ongoing sleep or stress, reach out for support.
Lifeline 13 11 14 | Regional Access 1300 032 186 | Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Parenting is hard at the best of times — add farm stress, exhaustion, or the chaos of harvest, and it can feel near impossible to be the parent you want to be. In this episode of From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land, Steph shares honest reflections from her own family life alongside practical strategies for staying connected with your kids when everything feels overwhelming.

You’ll hear about:

• Why “good enough” parenting really is enough.

• Practical tools from How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk.

• Everyday strategies: acknowledging feelings, giving choices, problem-solving as a family, and using notes or rituals for connection.

• The importance of repair when things go wrong — because none of us get it right every time.

This series is part of Farm Life Psych with Steph Schmidt and proudly supported by Ski for Life, who do incredible grassroots work in rural mental health and suicide prevention.

👉 Tune in for practical, compassionate ideas you can try on your farm and in your family this week.

👉 Find more resources for navigating Farm Life in the Farm Life Handbook Digital Hub www.farmlifehandbook.com.au

👉 Sign up for little reminders to help you stay on track:

www.stephschmidt.com.au/littlerocks

Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information only. If you are struggling, please reach out for support. In Australia you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or in South Australia contact Regional Access on 1300 032 186.

In this episode of From Stress to Strength: Navigating Life on the Land, part of my Farm Life Psych podcast, I’m taking you into the shearing shed — not just for the wool, but for the wisdom.

Currently we are navigating the chaos of shearing, a time I love and find exhausting - all at the same time. (Remember, it's all about the AND).

Shearing season is a masterclass in teamwork, routine, and finding small moments of joy in hard work. I share five lessons from the shed that can help us all — whether you run sheep or not — to look after our wellbeing:

• The power of the team (and why going far together beats going fast alone)

• Finding rest and rhythm in your days

• The lift that music and joy can bring

• Fueling your body for the work ahead

• Letting go of the “prickly bits”

It’s about finding practical ways to carry these lessons into everyday farm life, so we can keep going — together — even through the busiest, most exhausting seasons.

This From Stress to Strength series is proudly supported by Ski for Life, a grassroots organisation promoting mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention in rural communities across Australia.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Ski for Life: www.skiforlife.com.au

• Connect with me on Instagram or Facebook: @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

• More episodes & resources: www.stephschmidt.com.au/podcast

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who’d appreciate it, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Disclaimer:
The information in this podcast is for general information and education purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are struggling or feel you may need support, please reach out to a qualified health professional. In Australia, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Regional Access on 1300 032 186 (in South Australia). You do not have to go through difficult times alone — help is available.

In this episode of From Stress to Strength, Steph explores the idea of capacity—and why shifting the conversation from “mental health” to “how much I’ve got to give” might just change everything.

We often talk about stress as something wrong with us, but what if it’s just what happens when the demands placed on us exceed our capacity (or our perceived capacity) to cope? In this down-to-earth episode, Steph talks through what capacity looks like on the farm and in family life—and how to check in, protect it, and gently rebuild when you're running low.

Whether your silo’s full or scraping the bottom, this episode is your reminder that you don’t have to be at 100% to keep going—but you do need to notice where you’re at.

You’ll learn:

• How to check in with your capacity (without judgment)

• What drains your silo—and what fills it back up

• How capacity plays out in our relationships

• The importance of having honest conversations about load

• Simple ways to protect and build capacity day-to-day

🔧 Featuring practical metaphors, small tweaks, and a whole lot of validation for how hard it is right now.

This series is proudly supported by Ski for Life, an organisation committed to suicide prevention and stronger mental health in rural Australia.

📍 Find more at: stephschmidt.com.au/podcast

If this episode brings up anything for you:
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14
📞 Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
📞 SA Rural Mental Health Triage: 13 14 65

When the stress is high, our relationships often take the biggest hit — especially on the farm, where family and business are deeply intertwined. In this episode, join Steph Schmidt as she explores how stress impacts our relationships and shares practical strategies to reconnect and repair, even in tough seasons.

Whether it's with your partner, parents, kids, or co-workers, this episode is a reminder that we’re in this together - and that small actions can make a big difference.

In this episode, Steph unpacks:

• How stress shrinks our “window of tolerance” and makes conflict more likely

• Why conflict is inevitable—and how repair matters more than perfection

• The power of perspective shifting: “You can be in a relationship or you can be right”

• A handful of practical tips to reconnect, from small daily check-ins to sharing your “why”

• Why shared purpose can anchor your family farm in hard times

💡 This episode is for anyone navigating the push and pull of relationships during times of pressure. You are not alone—and you don’t have to get it perfect.

Disclaimer:
This podcast provides general information for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional mental health advice. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out.

📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 — 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention
📞 Regional Access (SA): 1300 032 186 — Free professional phone and online counselling for people living or working in regional South Australia
📞 Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467 — Counselling for people affected by suicide

🎧 Listen and explore all episodes at stephschmidt.com.au/podcast
🙏 Proudly supported by Ski for Life — promoting mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention across rural Australia.

Our minds are meaning-making machines — but sometimes, they trap us in loops of self-criticism, worst-case scenarios, and unhelpful comparisons. In this episode, Steph unpacks the most common thinking traps we all fall into, especially when stress levels are high and life on the land feels overwhelming.

You’ll learn:

• Why thinking traps are normal (and not a sign that something's wrong with you)

• The most common traps: all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, mind reading, "shoulds" and "musts", labelling, overgeneralizing, emotional reasoning, and minimising your own strengths

• Simple tools to step out of these loops and regain perspective

• How to use the STOPP strategy to interrupt spirals and take meaningful next steps

Whether you're stuck in your own head or supporting someone else who is, this episode offers practical ways to pause, notice, and choose what happens next.

🧠 You don’t have to believe every thought you have. But you can learn to notice it — and choose your next move.

Referenced strategies:

• STOPP: Stop – Take a breath – Observe – Pull back – Proceed with what matters

• The 5x5 perspective rule

• “I’m having the thought that…” defusion tool

  
  

This episode is part of the From Stress to Strength series, proudly supported by Ski for Life, a grassroots organisation promoting mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention in rural communities across Australia.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts
🌾 Connect with Steph on Instagram & Facebook: @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych
💻 Explore more: www.stephschmidt.com.au
📝 Complete the check-in survey: www.stephschmidt.com.au/podcast