(The original version of this post was written for farmers, on my blog Thriving on the Farm...but I think it can apply to just about any of us.)

I was reading an article from University of Minnesota Extension on farm safety today (https://extension.umn.edu/farm...mpromise-farm-safety), and this phrase jumped out and hit me over the head. “There is no award for who suffers the most.”  Ouch.

How often do we brag about how long our workday is, or how little sleep we’ve gotten, or how crazy our schedule is?  It’s as if these stressful, unhealthy behaviors somehow prove we’re really doing our best, or are the most dedicated person ever—they are a badge of honor. But in fact, this kind of stressful activity puts us at risk and may put others at risk too, since  stress leads to lack of focus, mistakes, and accidents.

Rather than bragging about how much we can “suck it up and get on with it” imagine what it would be like to brag about how clear-headed we are and how we make great decisions because we’ve got lots of energy and are mentally sharp all the time.

Managing stress is a responsibility in order to manage our health and safety and the safety of others. So be SAFER (get Sleep, be Aware, Focus on positives, Eat and drink healthy things, Reach out when you need to talk), and take care!