Sherri-Lee Pauls Mentors Others to Seek Help When Needed

By Joan Airey

The following quote was posted by a hockey mom I know well. When I read it I thought Sherri-Lee Pauls is that person when she enters a room or a farm family meeting helping to improve everyone’s attitude. A farm family has to be a team for it to work.

The quote reads…“On every team, there is a core group that sets the tone for everyone else. If the tone is positive, you have half the battle won. If it is negative, you are beaten before you walk on the field.” - Chuck Noll.

Pauls was a speaker on mental health struggles at the 2022 Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference who was able to bring the room to life with her talk and get everyone to listen and respond to her.

She shared her life with attendees at the conference on how she was raised in southern Manitoba and on a Mennonite Colony in Mexico.

“I think open communication with ALL members of a farming family are so important, even the nonfarming siblings,” explained Pauls. “The big question to ask is ‘Do I want my farm to survive and thrive?’ If the answer is yes, then the previous generation has to face the tough decision to hand over the reins a bit more and set timelines and expectations. So important! Mental health and communication should be a top priority on any family farm. I’m so thankful I married into a farming family that has regular meetings on a lot of things.”

When asked how she became involved in being a motivational speaker on handling mental health issues she stressed it is being around people.

“I’m a huge extrovert so I thrive being around people. When I married into farming, having walked the hard road of mental health struggles, I saw a large need for support in the female end of farming,” added Pauls. “It can be such an isolating job and a lot of our lives are spent in our heads. The feeling of ‘so one else thinks or feels like this’ is too common in my book. I became very passionate about spreading awareness on how we are not alone and there are solutions to our struggles.”

Pauls has some advice she gives people on fighting depression.

“The hard thing with depression is it is not one size fits all. The advice I give is that, if it has become to the point where normal things that used to give you joy, no longer do, seek help,” Pauls said. “Whether that be with medication or therapy, there is no shame in trying to become yourself again. Asking for help is the hardest part, and it is such a personal journey, but the more open you can be with your struggles the more you realize that you are not alone.”

She further reflected during her presentation at the MFW Conference how she lost her home one Christmas to fire. One could ask how she managed to keep a positive attitude after such a heart-breaking ordeal.

“Yes, eight years ago right after Christmas, our house burnt down. I will fully admit I did not always have a positive attitude and I was face with many challenges of letting go of appearances or ideas I thought were right,” said Pauls. “When you find yourself with nothing but the clothes on your back, the things that are important become very clear. I realized the freedom is being real and authentic. There was nothing to hide behind. Looking back, so much good came out of that experience. We could not have gotten through that without our amazing small town community taking care of us and God. He showed me time and time again that He had it all under control and my fears and stress could be tossed up to him.”

Sherri-Lee Pauls can be found on Instagram at @ theg_mom The Ginger Mom.