It was a timely topic, Chisholm said.
"The past couple of years have been tough with Covid-19 and lockdowns and it's really easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us," he told The Country Sport Breakfast's Brian Kelly
"So mental health awareness week is a good chance to reach out to someone you've lost contact with – I do it all the time at the moment."
Chisholm is also a farmer, running a 29-hectare block at Chatto Creek in Central Otago and an Ambassador for the Rural Support Trust (RST).
He's currently on the Time Out Tour, as part of his work with the RST.
"[I'm] travelling around the country meeting with rural folk and having a yarn about mental wellness and resilience.
"We know mental health and wellbeing's becoming a more prevalent issue in our rural communities – and our cities too for that matter."
Although farming was predominantly an animal and produce business, it was also very much a human business, he said.
"Things can get tough when you're juggling the usual farm work and calving or lambing.
"To throw in some wild weather events, some compliance obligations, staff shortages and rising on-farm costs and you can quickly have a pressure-cooker situation."
This was something Chisholm knew from experience, as he was currently in his own pressure-cooker situation, due to lambing.
"I'm picking up more dead lambs than live lambs at the moment so it's not the idyllic dream I thought it would be – there are a lot of good things - but it can be very trying as well, so I really do know what farmers are going through."
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Recently, Fonterra partnered with RST to improve access to wellbeing and resilience services for farmers or their families.
Chisholm said it was a great initiative, as it would give RST more tools and funding to get the message out to rural communities.
"There's no one size fits all when it comes to wellbeing and we know the needs of farmers will vary from person to person – we're all different, right? – [so the support will] depend on an individual or a family situation."
Therefore, Fonterra is working with RST to develop a rural-specific national strategy to identify those different needs, so there can be objectives and tangible action.
"There's a real need. We know that. They're aiming to meet it and that's reassuring," Chisholm said.
"Everyone can have tough times and sometimes we just need to take a step back, get out of our own heads, connect with our mates and just remind ourselves that we're OK and there is a way through it.
"Life can get a whole lot better when you put your hand up and ask for help and we really do need to look out for each other."
As for his own farming situation, Chisholm was putting his wellbeing experience to good use.
"I know that the sun's going to come out again and eventually I'll have two-week-old live lambs running around and frolicking in the sun and life will be good again."
Find out more about the Time Out Tour here.
Where to get help
If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Rural help
Rural Support Trust: 0800 787 254
For counselling and support
Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP)
Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Need to talk? Call or text 1737
Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202
For children and young people
Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
For help with specific issues
Alcohol and Drug Helpline: Call 0800 787 797
Anxiety Helpline: Call 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY)
OutLine: Call 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE) (6pm-9pm)
Safe to talk (sexual harm): Call 0800 044 334 or text 4334
All services are free and available 24/7 unless otherwise specified.
For more information and support, talk to your local doctor, hauora, community mental health team, or counselling service. The Mental Health Foundation has more helplines and service contacts on its website.
