Kicking the tires while considering change
I was fortunate enough to take a short vacation and escape the cold of Montana and enjoy a few sunny and warm clear sky days in Phoenix. No schedules, delicious food, and a professional football game made for a wonderfully relaxing and fun respite. A bonus to this experience was my first ride in a Waymo. If you’re not familiar with Waymo, it is a self-driving car, using artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and custom software. They’re currently in operation in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
I took a video of riding in the Waymo and posted it. It does look strange sitting in the passenger seat with the car moving down the street with no human at the wheel. It was a bizarre feeling when we made a left-hand turn and the car signaled, moved in the turn lane, and the steering wheel moved on its own as we made progress to our destination. It wasn’t long before some people responded with the “wow” emojis, and comments such as, “I wouldn’t do that” and “ah, yeah, nope!.” Many comments made mention of “trust” and “control,” which is completely understandable. I too felt the same until I watched a couple videos my friend sent me when he used it the first time and had a positive and easy experience.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to dealing with change. One perspective is that change is difficult and uncomfortable, and people will fight change, even if it brings us benefits. The other viewpoint is that we navigate change frequently and we must pivot from the original path several times per day, even when we may not even realize it.
How we view change is also dependent upon its origins. For example, is the proposed change our own idea? If so, we may find it more agreeable than if it is someone else’s proposal or life has thrust a brand new “normal” upon us that we didn’t ask for.
Safety features on machinery, longer combine headers and larger grain tanks, changes in farming techniques, and utilizing technology such as GPS are all examples of changes in farming. Of course, not all change is the best or right move for all operations, but it’s probably safe to say that farming is an occupation that has undergone many evolutions in recent years, and those evolutions may be accompanied by stress and anxiety.
We frequently explore options to improve our operations, and it can be a refreshing and exciting prospect. The same is true for exploring options to improve our mental health.
Tech innovations include artificial intelligence analyzing passive smartphone data (activity, movement) to predict anxiety spikes and personalize interventions. Another new strategy is wearable biometrics such as smartwatches and fitness trackers that continuously monitor physiological and behavioral data, to provide real-time insights into mood, stress, and potential symptom flare-ups. These devices help with early detection, encourage self-monitoring, and can be integrated with artificial intelligence for personalized feedback and early intervention.
Strategies that keep getting more attention to improve or maintain our mental health can be easily incorporated into our daily lifestyles. Exercising for 10-15 minutes every day boosts our mood and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our fuel matters, too. An eating plan such as a Mediterranean diet that prioritizes lean proteins, grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes is beneficial. To help with acute anxiety, we can try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique. When stressed or feeling especially anxious, we can say aloud 5 things we can see. The next step is to acknowledge 4 things we can feel. For instance, we can say, “I feel the heat from the furnace vent on my feet.” Next, we name 3 things we can hear. We may say, “I hear the TV in the other room,” or “I hear the birds singing outside my window.” Then say aloud 2 smells that you notice. You may smell the ink from your pen, or the smell of an incoming rainstorm. The last step is naming 1 thing you can taste. Perhaps it’s an aftertaste of your lunch, or the cup of coffee you are enjoying. If you can’t identify a taste, then close your eyes for a couple of moments and think of a favorite thing to taste.
A behavioral tool we can use to build self-confidence, which helps boost mental health, is to challenge ourselves to small acts of bravery. Speaking up at a meeting, trying a new hobby, or being vulnerable by sharing thoughts or feelings with a trusted person can be important steps.
We all respond to change at different speeds and different degrees of acceptance or resistance. No matter how we manage change, it’s worth our while to at least walk around it, kick the tires, and consider a ride. There’s no need to judge one another whether or not we get in…at least we considered doing so.
For more information on the Ask In Earnest initiative, go to http://www.askinearnest.org. Darla Tyler-McSherry, Founder and Visionary of Ask In Earnest, can be reached at askinearnest@hotmail.com.