About ifarmwell
ifarmwell is a free, online tool kit to help farmers cope effectively with life’s challenges and get the most out of every day. It is a self-help intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed in collaboration with Australian farmers.
The five-module online program aims to equip farmers with new tools that reduce the negative impact that stressful situations have on their lives, so they have more time and energy to focus on the things that make them happy. It shares practical ways of coping with difficult circumstances, thoughts and feelings (especially worries about things that can’t be controlled) and helping farmers to work out where it is most useful for them to put their attention and energy.
- Module 1: Taking stock of your current wellbeing and some practical strategies to get you started
- Module 2: Thoughts are like bullies – how to spend less time ‘in your head’
- Module 3: Doing what really matters – how to get the most out of a busy life
- Module 4: Training your ‘attention muscle’ and focusing on the ‘here and now’ – a more pleasant, less exhausting place to be
- Module 5: Putting it all together and moving forward
Who is ifarmwell for?
The website is designed to be useful for BOTH farmers who are currently feeling down or stressed AND those who would simply like some new tools to improve their ability to cope with uncertainty associated with life on the land.
Is there a cost to use ifarmwell?
There is no cost to use the online program.
How to access ifarmwell
ifarmwell can be accessed online at https://ifarmwell.com.au/ and requires registration with a first name, last name, email, phone number, and password.
ifarmwell Research and Evaluation
ifarmwell is based on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), a unique empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means contacting the present moment fully as a conscious human being, and based on what the situation affords, changing or persisting in behavior in the service of chosen values.
ACT has an expanding evidence-base as a highly effective treatment for a range of clinical conditions and the promotion of wellbeing in non-clinical samples. ACT is a trans-diagnostic approach, which means that the strategies it teaches can be applied to a range of mental health disorders and personal challenges. To make it more engaging for farmers, most of the examples provided and metaphors used to explain key concepts are farming-related.
The website is currently undergoing formal research evaluation with a sample of Australian farmers.
