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