Adjusting expectations in the busy season

As many of us know, this time of year brings intensity that disrupts even the best-laid routines. Work, rest, and connection often slip. Not due to poor planning, but because the season leaves little room for anything else.

Accepting this doesn’t make the work lighter, but it can change how we talk to ourselves during these high-pressure weeks. A small shift in internal dialogue can meaningfully affect stress, wellbeing, and our sense of competence.

One of the first things to slip is social connection. We may feel less available, not because we don’t care, but because energy and time are scarce.

We may:

· Step off-farm rarely, if at all.

· Skip regular calls to family and friends.

· Only manage a wave, nod, or brief “uh-huh.”

This is not personal failure; it’s a predictable response to seasonal demands. Trying to ‘make time’ often adds guilt or frustration, especially when it doesn’t match the realities of harvest or peak workloads.

Instead of holding ourselves to standards we maintain during quieter months, we can adjust to something achievable, compassionate, and realistic; ‘Good Enough.’

Maybe that’s a short text, an emoji in a group chat, a quick team check-in, or telling your partner or kids you love them while moving between jobs. These small gestures preserve connection without adding pressure.

Shifting how we speak to ourselves also reduces psychological load.

Instead of:

· “I should be doing more,”

· “I need to keep up,”

· “I feel bad for not being available,”

We can say:

· “I am doing the best I can under the circumstances,”

· “This is a temporary but demanding period,”

· “The people who matter understand,”

· “Right now, good enough truly is enough.”

This reframing doesn’t change the work itself, but it eases self-criticism and guilt. Seeing this as a demanding season - not a reflection of commitment or capability - helps us stay grounded. Adjusting expectations respects the realities of the work and is essential to maintaining wellbeing.

By softening our internal conversation, we create room to breathe, cope, and recognise that doing the best we can with the energy and time available is more than enough.