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.

Emma Jones is, above all, a Cheshire dairy farmer. Working on her family farm, she experiences first-hand both the rewards and the realities of modern farming, giving her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities.

On this episode we have a lovely chat about how life works, the power of listening and the immense value of all of our lived experience.

Alongside her farming work, Emma is a dedicated advocate for mental wellbeing in agriculture. She volunteers with Shout, a text-based mental health support service, and Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy, which provides practical, emotional, and pastoral support to farming families. Through these roles, she helps ensure that people in rural areas have access to the support they need, particularly during difficult times.

Emma is especially passionate about the intersection of farming, mental health, and inclusivity. She champions the idea that agriculture should be a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to thrive.

Through her writing on Facebook and LinkedIn, Emma offers honest, insightful reflections on farming life, rural communities, and wellbeing. Her posts combine practical experience with warmth and authenticity, making them both thought-provoking and relatable. I highly recommend following her work.

On this episode we welcome Joe Evans, Deputy President of the CLA (Country Land and Business Association). We have a great chat about communicating in family business - the highs and lows!

Joe grew up on his family farm in Herefordshire and spent much of the first decade of his career working for HSBC Group in Asia.

In 2012 he and his wife Keeley returned 'home' where he took over the day to day running of Whitbourne estate from his father. Working together with one of his farming tenants, Joe runs the home farm as an extensive organic grazing enterprise with significant focus on environmental stewardship schemes.

He has been involved with the CLA as chair of the Herefordshire branch and chair of the Environment Committee and is now Deputy President.

I recently went to the funeral of a truly amazing guy - Lionel Hill. He had everything you could want from life, a lovely wife, great family, a beautiful farm, a string of successful businesses, he even took over from Prince Charles (as he was then) as national president of the Young Farmers Clubs. He had friends all over the country.

He was a great bloke, always with a cheeky grin, a joke and laugh and his motto (which I learned at the funeral) was KBO - Keep Buggering On.

I think thats a motto we all need to listen to, so often we have times where we can't see the way ahead, we don't know if we can make it. What if we just KBO?

On this episode of Stockmanship for the Mind I have a great discussion with Claire Smith and Roy Jackson, Rural Partners in WR Partners accountancy firm, which is based in Shropshire, Wales and Cheshire. Claire and Roy are both from farming backgrounds and have a combined experience of almost 40 years of working with farmers and other rural businesses, so they bring a huge wealth of expertise to the table.

We cover some of the technical reasons why planning for the handover of a farming business to the next generation is just so important. The updated inheritance tax law has brought this thorny issue to a head for many farmers and it has never been more crucial to plan ahead.

Everyone knows this… So why can it be such a difficult discussion to have on farm? Why do so many farmers just want to bury their head in the sand?

Partly, the high value of agricultural assets means that there is a lot to play for, but we also take a look at some of the emotional aspects that are almost inevitably tied up with passing on the family farm.

Come along to this episode for a fresh look at succession planning with Roy and Claire.

We all know that difficult topics can make for difficult conversations... how do we make that easier? How do we make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of a productive chat, where everyone feels better and you can actually resolve an issue... or at least make some headway?

When's the best time to tackle something tricky? Is it when we feel like our blood is boiling and we can't rest until we sort something (or somebody!) out? Would we train our dog in that state of mind??

Feeling under pressure? Does it look like life is throwing ALOT at you? I hear you!

What can we do about this? Nobody wants to feel stressed all the time but sometimes it kind of looks like that's the only real response to a situation. Is there anything we can see about this with fresh eyes?