The Do More Agriculture Foundation, has launched its second awareness campaign called ‘It Starts With Me.’
The campaign aims to: reduce stigma, understand that each of us plays a role, and inspire those in agriculture to take care of their mental well-being.
“Our words can have such a powerful impact, whether verbalized to others, or from our own self talk. Bringing awareness to the language we use will continue to help drive positive change towards decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health in agriculture,” says Adelle Stewart, executive director for Do More Ag.
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“Sometimes we don’t intend what we say, or don’t yet have the tools to understand how we could rephrase when it comes to supporting people in a meaningful way. This campaign aims to bring awareness to the conversation, so individuals can continue to build capacity through their own reflections and improve our conversations surrounding mental health.”
‘It Starts With Me’ identifies common phrases heard or spoken within the agriculture community and suggests alternative language. The campaign highlights real life examples from those within the industry on how a simple statement like ‘just get over it’ and ‘suck it up’ can be rephrased to a more supportive statement like ‘It might not be easy, but it’s okay to get help.’ It also highlights internal dialogue and encourages people to be kinder to themselves.
Do More Ag is a not-for-profit championing mental health in agriculture across Canada. Learn more at domore.ag. See examples on the changing conversation and share examples using #ItStartsWithMe.
