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Have you ever found yourself thinking, "I know what I should be doing, so why am I still not doing it?"

If you've ever felt weighed down by all the things you should be doing to look after yourself, this episode is for you.

As I wrap up this season of Farm Life Psych, I want to leave you with something a little different. Not another strategy or another thing to add to your to-do list, but permission. Permission to let go of perfection, to stop measuring yourself against impossible standards, and to remember that being human was never meant to look flawless.

In this episode, I talk about the idea of "good enough humaning" and how aiming for 30% instead of 100% might help you show up more consistently for the people and things that matter most.

We talk about values, capacity, repair after we get things wrong, and why progress is so often found in the small moments rather than perfect ones.

If you've been carrying a heavy load or feeling like you're falling short, I hope this conversation helps you put some of those "shoulds" down.

I'd love to hear what resonated with you. What does "good enough" look like in your season of life? Come and connect with me over on Instagram at @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych and send me a message or share your thoughts. I always love hearing from you

What we cover in this episode

• Introduction to the pressure of always feeling like you "should" be doing more.
• Reflecting on the season and why returning to the basics felt important.
• Why helpful wellbeing strategies can become another source of pressure.
• Turning "shoulds" into shame and recognising this common human experience.
• Introducing the idea of "good enough humaning".
• The psychology behind the "Good Enough Parent" concept.
• Why repair matters more than perfection.
• Extending ourselves the same grace we often offer others.
• Living by our values without expecting perfection.
• Why aiming for 100% often sets us up to struggle.
• The idea of aiming for 30% instead of 100%.
• Practical examples of what 30% might look like in everyday life.
• Understanding capacity during busy farming seasons.
• Using values as a compass rather than a measuring stick.
• Small, imperfect actions that move us towards what matters.
• Final reflections and encouragement to let go of perfection.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• The concept of the "Good Enough Parent" developed by paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott.
• Research and concepts relating to attachment, rupture and repair in parent-child relationships.
  
  

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.

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Do you ever feel pulled in so many directions that you’re not quite sure how you want to show up anymore?

In this episode, I talk about something I come back to often in workshops and conversations with farmers: values.

We hear a lot about identifying our values, but living them can be much harder when life feels busy, uncertain, and full of competing demands. I share why values matter, why they can sometimes feel uncomfortable, and how they can help us find direction when life feels messy.

I also share the difference between values and goals, why values need to go deeper than broad ideas like "family" or "work", and how understanding the way we want to show up can help us make decisions that feel more aligned with what matters most. Because often the challenge isn't knowing our values. It's working out what to do when they seem to be pulling us in different directions.

If you've ever felt torn between family and farm, presence and legacy, or competing expectations within yourself or your relationships, this episode will give you practical ways to reflect on what's important and find a steadier path forward. It's not about getting it perfect. It's about having a compass to help guide you when things feel uncertain.

I'd love to hear your thoughts after listening. What value is guiding you most in this season of life? Come and connect with me on Instagram and send me a DM @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

What we cover in this episode

• Why values can seem simple in theory but feel difficult to live out in everyday life
• How values can act as a compass during stressful and uncertain seasons
• The difference between values and goals
• Why values are ongoing directions rather than achievements to tick off
• The discomfort that can arise when our actions don't align with what matters most
• Why values clarification can be confronting but useful
• The importance of narrowing down to one to three key values
• How conflicting values can leave us feeling pulled in multiple directions
• Why broad values such as family, work or health need deeper exploration
• Exploring the question: "What about family matters most to me?"
• Different ways people can express the same value through different choices
• Examples of values including presence, connection, stability, contribution, creativity and legacy
• How values can shift across different seasons of life
• Navigating value conflicts within ourselves
• Navigating value differences within relationships and families
• Practical reflections to help identify and clarify personal values
• Using values to move beyond expectations and "shoulds"
• Finding direction when life feels overwhelming or uncertain

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.

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Ever had one of those weeks where everything seems to go wrong, and you’re still expected to keep showing up anyway?

This week I’m sharing a very real, very unpolished reflection on stress, overwhelm, and the pressure so many of us are carrying right now on the land. After recording this episode three times thanks to technology dramas, I decided to stop aiming for perfect and simply have an honest conversation about what helps when life feels heavy.

I talk through some of the practical tools I’ve been sharing in my recent “What the F?” sessions with farmers across Australia, including the Circle of Control, moving towards rather than away from our values, and why sometimes the most important question we can ask is: What can I do in the next five minutes?

We talk about how stress pulls us into autopilot, why tiny actions matter more than big fixes, and how giving ourselves a bit of grace can help us step out of shame spirals and back into what matters most.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t have to hold it all perfectly. You can be exhausted AND still care deeply. You can feel overwhelmed AND keep taking the next small step. If you’re carrying a lot right now, I hope this conversation helps you feel a little less alone and gives you a couple of practical anchors to come back to.

I’d love to hear what resonated with you from this episode. What’s one small thing helping you get through this season right now? Come and connect with me over on Instagram @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

What we cover in this episode

• Steph shares the chaos of recording this episode three times
• Reflections on pressure and overwhelm in agriculture right now
• Overview of the “What the F?” online sessions
• The Circle of Control explained
• What’s in our control vs outside our control
• Focusing on the next five minutes instead of the whole season
• Practical examples from seeding, lambing and farm life
• Moving towards values instead of away from discomfort
• Stress, autopilot, and noticing unhelpful coping habits
• Small steps that reconnect us with what matters
• Giving ourselves grace when we don’t show up perfectly
• Parenting, capacity, and realistic self-compassion
• The tension between competing values and priorities
• Final reflections on stress, imperfection, and next steps

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.

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Why do we know exactly what needs to change and still feel completely stuck?

If you’ve ever had that thought of “if nothing changes, nothing changes” sitting in the back of your mind, but still can’t quite take the step forward, this episode will meet you right there. I talk through why change isn’t just about willpower. It’s about capacity. And when you’re already stretched thin on the farm, at home, or mentally, change can feel almost impossible.

I walk you through what’s happening in your brain when you’re under stress, and why you might keep falling back into the same patterns even when you know they’re not helping. I also share a practical framework, the Stages of Change model, to help you understand where you’re at and what your next small step could look like.

This episode isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about making sense of why things feel stuck and finding a way forward that fits your life right now.

What’s one change you’ve been thinking about but haven’t quite made yet?


I’d love to hear what came up for you in this episode. Come and share it with me over on Instagram @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

What we cover in this episode

• The phrase “if nothing changes, nothing changes” and why it can feel frustrating
• Why knowing what to do doesn’t mean we’ll do it
• How habits form in the brain and why change feels effortful
• The impact of stress and low capacity on behaviour change
• “Limp mode” and how stress shuts down higher thinking
• Why we default to autopilot under pressure
• Giving yourself permission and grace when change feels hard
• Introduction to the Stages of Change model
• Pre-contemplation stage and lack of awareness
• Contemplation stage and feeling stuck in indecision
• Why many people sit in contemplation for long periods
• Practical tools for the contemplation stage
• Moving into preparation and setting realistic plans
• Common mistake of skipping preparation
• Action stage and maintaining behaviour change
• Importance of reviewing what gets in the way

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.

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Are you feeling stuck in the heaviness of this season and wondering how you’re meant to keep going without pretending everything’s fine?

In this episode, I talk honestly about how hard things feel right now. No glossing over it. No “just stay positive.” Instead, I walk through how we can hold space for both the weight of what’s happening AND the strengths we already have in our farming lives. I share some of the research-backed protective factors that are already part of what we do every day. Things like purpose, autonomy, and movement, and how we can start to notice them again when stress narrows our view.

I also bring it back to practical, small moments. Not big mindset shifts, just noticing, catching and giving yourself a bit more space in the middle of it all.

This episode is about steadying yourself when things feel uncertain, and remembering that even in tough seasons, there is still something to hold onto.

What’s one small thing you can notice or catch today? I’d love to hear from you. Come and connect with me over on Instagram @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

What we cover in this episode

• Why “just think positive” misses the point
• Acknowledging how heavy things feel right now
• How stress narrows our focus and thinking
• The risk of getting stuck in rumination cycles
• Introducing the idea of noticing “what else is here”
• Exploring protective factors in farming life
• The role of purpose and meaning in wellbeing
• Real-life examples of meaning in farming
• Practical ways to “catch” moments of purpose
• Autonomy and sense of control as a psychological need
• Reframing “I have to” into “I choose to”
• Small, everyday choices that rebuild agency
• Movement to manage stress
• Using physical activity to process stress responses
  
  

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.

Send us Fan Mail

Are you feeling like it’s all just a bit too much right now, and you don’t get to press pause?

I’m back behind the mic, and if I’m honest, I almost didn’t record this one. Things have felt heavy. A lot like what so many of us are carrying right now on the land. Between the chaos in the world, rising costs, pressure on the farm, and just the everyday juggle, it can feel like there’s no space to catch your breath.

In this episode, I share why I’ve come back to basics, not because it’s new, but because it’s what helps when everything feels stretched.

I walk you through three simple anchors I keep coming back to on our own farm when things feel overwhelming.

The AND, holding space for both the hard and the good.

SOW, a way to slow things down and come back to what matters.

And the reminder that if we don’t take small moments to look after ourselves, our mind and body will eventually force us to. These aren’t big, life-changing overhauls. They’re small, steady tools that help you keep showing up when life doesn’t ease off.

If you’re feeling tired, stretched, or like your resilience muscle is just about done, this episode will meet you there with practical ways to get through the season you’re in.

What’s one small thing helping you get through right now? Come and share it with me over on Instagram @stephschmidt.farmlifepsych

What we cover in this episode

• Returning to the podcast during a full and overwhelming season
• Reflections from the Motherland Conference
• The current pressure across agriculture including fuel and fertiliser impacts
• The idea that resilience can feel worn out, not weak
• Why now is a time for reminders, not new strategies
• The importance of small moments of self-care before burnout forces it
• Anchor 1: The AND and holding dual realities
• Real-life example of a tough farm moment with the kids
• Anchor 2: SOW – Slow down, Observe, What matters
• Using SOW in relationships and daily decisions
• Recognising what matters most in the moment
  
  

References mentioned in this episode

• Motherland Conference

Connect with Steph

• Steph's website
• Digital Hub for Farmers: farmlifehandbook.com.au
• Steph on Facebook
• Steph on LinkedIn
• Steph on Instagram
• Steph's upcoming events

The Farm Life Psych podcast shares general information and personal reflections to support wellbeing — it isn't therapy, counselling, or personal advice, and it's not a substitute for support from a qualified professional. If something's sitting heavily with you, please reach out to your GP, a psychologist, or a trusted support service. If you're in crisis or need to talk to someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. You're not alone, and reaching out is a strength.