Fit for the Season – Mental Strength in the Pressure Cooker

Shearing season doesn’t ease you in. It chucks you straight in the deep end, boots and all. Cold mornings, long days, tired bodies, ticking clocks. Farmers asking, dogs barking, vans rattling down the gravel roads at 5 am. And through it all, everyone’s expected to be on.

Shearers are cranking, wool handlers are flying, pressers are drowning in bins of wool, classers are running, and contractors are juggling 12 phone calls, 3 missing staff, a flat van tyre, and a farmer breathing down their neck about finish times.

It’s pressure. Pure and simple.

But here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough — it’s not just your body that cops it. It’s your brain. Your mood, your patience, your ability to handle dumb shit without blowing a fuse.

We get fit for the board. We do our stretches, we carb up, we sharpen gear. So why the fuck don’t we get mentally fit too?

The Big Job Blues

When the season hits, so does the heat — and not just from the handpiece. You start hearing things like:

• “Gotta get these done before the weather turns.”

• “We’re behind already.”

• “He reckons we’re too slow.”

• “I can’t afford a day off.”

  
  

The sheep aren’t the only thing under the pump. You might look calm as hell on the outside — singing along to the shed sounds, laughing at the presser for dropping the smoko bin — but inside? You’re running on fumes.

The pressure builds quietly:

• You’re not sleeping right.

• You’re snapping at your mates.

• You’re necking coffees and durries just to get through the day.

• Your guts are twisted, your chest is tight, and your fuse is real fucking short.

And still, we carry on. Because “that’s just the job”, right?

Naah. That’s the bullshit we’ve been sold!

Building Mental Fitness Like a Weapon

You wouldn’t go and shear a shed full of 100kg ewes with a bung back and no breakfast. So don’t expect your head to take on that stress without some prep either.

Mental fitness isn’t just some airy-fairy therapist buzzword — it’s your ability to get through the hard shit and come out the other side without blowing up or burning out.

Here’s a few tools that actually work, even in the middle of a fast shed:

🧠 Mini-Resets

Between runs, chuck your phone in your bag and go outside. Breathe deep. Let your mind stop for 60 seconds. No scrolling. Just be.

🧃 Fuel Matters

Your brain runs on the same fuel your body does. Skip real food, and your mood will be a ticking time bomb. Get some proper kai in ya — protein, carbs, water. Not just pies and V.

🗣 Don’t Bottle It

Talk early, not when you’re already broken. Tell your mate if you’re feeling the pinch. Talk to the contractor if something’s not sitting right. Speak up before you shut down.

💪 Train the Mind Too

Stretching your mindset is like stretching your hamstrings. Try this:

• Name 3 things going right each morning.

• Do a few deep breaths before your first sheep.

• Call your nan back when she leaves a voicemail.

Tiny habits, big gains.

Pressure Doesn’t Make Diamonds — It Breaks People Who Lie About Being Fine

We love to say we’re tough. We love to say we can handle it.

But toughness isn’t silence. Toughness is knowing when to rest. Toughness is having that yarn to a mate when you need to. Toughness is asking for help before the black dog digs in.

Resilience isn’t pretending. It’s adapting. It’s recovering. It’s learning how to look after your bloody self.

The Team That Breathes Together, Stays Together

Want a shed that doesn’t blow apart halfway through the season? Build some shared resilience.

• Let people be human.

• Encourage actual breaks.

• Back your team when they need a minute, or a cry, or a quiet word.

• Notice when someone’s fading. Say something.

• Make space for recovery, not just results.

Even something as simple as a “brew and breathe” moment after smoko can take the sting out of the stress.

Final Word: It’s a Tough Gig — But You Don’t Have to Do It Tough

Shearing will always be hard. That’s just the truth of it. But doing it hard doesn’t mean doing it stupid, and pushing through everything without looking after your mind? That’s stupid.

The brain is just another muscle. Train it. Feed it. Rest it. You’ll last longer. You’ll work better. You’ll be better — for your team, your mates, your family, and your own bloody self.

So this season, gear up. Not just your combs and cutters — but your head. Because when the pressure’s on, it’s your mindset that keeps you in the game.