People who are stressed need to talk to someone who is neutral and listens well. But people trying to help should not impose themselves until others are ready to talk. She defines stress as mourning a loss of power. She encourages people to come to a reckoning and be prepared to grieve. Trying to block the process will lead to physical illness or emotional breakdown.
Stress can help people develop their resiliency.
Gerrard did a study last year on rural resiliency that led her to define as most resilient those people with a strong sense of self who know what they like and don't like. I don't know who I am. Gerrard said external factors also affect resiliency. If you get nothing for your wheat, if politicians don't respond, then your resiliency will take a beating. She believes farming is a resilient culture.