Men’s Mental Health

How many times have you heard “speak up about mental health” or “it’s okay not to be okay”. You’ve probably heard it a lot when it comes to mental health. The thing is, guys normally laugh off these type of questions, it’s almost instinct.

“I’m grand yeah…. Why?”

One thing we can all do is really ask ourselves how we are doing, not just when someone asks. This seems a little simple, a bit pointless, but in our busy lives we often don’t get the chance to really answer that question. How are you doing? And the point of checking in with ourselves is that by making ourselves aware of how we’re really feeling, we can do something about it. For some people, that’s meeting their friends for a quiet one, for some people it’s releasing some of their tension by having a chat with their wife, for others it could be spending time with their kids, walking the dog or watching a show on TV.

If we notice something isn’t right with a friend, a colleague, or a teammate, ask them how they’re doing too. Often when somethings up, you’ll see a change in behaviour so trust yourself and ask them how they’re doing. When it comes to men, you might get a response like “I’m fine”, but trust your judgement and ask them again – “Are you sure? I’m worried about you because you don’t seem yourself”. Whatever way you think is best to do that, whether it’s in person, over the phone or by text, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone. Speaking about it is often the catalyst to change. It could save a life.

To donate to the Movember campaign, raising money for men’s mental health, check out the link below.

Joe O Brien.

https://mobro.co/headfirst0?mc=1