WW: Men's Health Week 2020
Hey everyone!
This week from the 15th to the 21st of June is Men's Health Week!
Whether it's your own health or that of your family and friends -it's always super important to check in with the boys and men in your life and see how they're travelling in all aspects of their health!
Cardiac disease, cancer, and poor mental health are prevelant issues that affect men in Australia, and Men's Health Week is the perfect opportunity to start a conversation about health issues that disproportionately affect men.
We thought this week could be a great opportunity to do a Weekly Wellbeing to do with men's health, particularly their mental health! 
With the changes that have come alongside COVID-19, such as being inside a lot of the time and being more socially isolated than usual, it's particularly important to touch base
Because of everything that's been happening in the world, a lot of people have been struggling, and having an open discussion about mental health can be really impactful! It can be really hard to start these sorts of conversations though, and sometimes you don't know what to say in response -which is okay! Even just starting a conversation shows that you care and are thinking about someone
Movember has developed a really helpful resource about having tough conversations about things like job loss, hardship, and loneliness. Which you can find here! It's a really wonderful website which is definitely worth checking out!
Their main takeways from this tool is to have a chat where you:
Ask
Listen
Encourage Action
Check In
Which is advice that ties in really well with this week's Weekly Wellbeing activity! 😄
Weekly Wellbeing activity
1. Reach out and check in with with a male friend or relative and see how they've been going recently 🙂
2. See if you can start a conversation surrounding men's health and wellbeing with them, whether mental or physical they're all connected!!
If you're interested, there's a lot of information on men's health and the online activities being run during this Men's Health Week on the Men's Health Week and Australian Men's Health Forums websites! 😄 Check them out!
If you have any conversations or reflections for Men's Health Week, we'd love to hear about them in this thread! 😄
Comments
Mens mental health is as important as anyone else's! We need to remove the stigma around boys and mental health and allow them to express their emotions without feeling as if it is not 'manly'.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this guys! 😄
@ecla34 cheers for setting this up!
@Jess1-RO yep, I certainly used this approach- it works well with people of all genders, especially if either of you are new to mental health check ins!
@Wolfie_ great to hear that you got something out of this experience with your partner.
@recharging_introvert absolutely, it takes courage- and you helped your workmate get through it, hopefully for the better, go you 🙂
@WheresMySquishy I know what you mean, we need to help guys feel more socially connected in workplaces for sure. Great resources too, cheers as always
I checked in with my little brother. He said everything was sailing smoothly but I feel good knowing I'm there if he needs me, and that he actually would approach me if he felt he needed it, regardless of how society says he should 'handle' or 'repress' a mental health challenge.
Great post @ecla34!
It served as a really good way of prompting me to reach out to an old work friend of mine that I used to be quite close with but haven't spoken to in a while. Our conversation ended with him confessing to me that he's actually really been struggling with his mental health as of late and asking me how he should go about seeking professional support. I feel amazingly grateful that he felt he could trust me and open up about his feelings in the way that he did - I know that's not always easy for men. It takes so much courage to admit when you're not okay.
Hi @ecla34, I read your post on Men's Health Week throughout the week and its been on my ming - I think mens mental health particularly is so important and ensuring that the men in your life feel supported and comfortable in communicating their struggles if need be.
From your post, I decided its something I wanted to raise with me partner. It was an easier conversation when we were on a long drive and could divert our attention to the road. Although short, I now know that he would talk to me in times of need and he feels comfortable in bringing these sorts of topics up. If it weren't for this thread, it probably wouldn't have been raised in discussion.
So, thank you.
Thank you for making this thread @ecla34! Men's health can get so overlooked.
@Wolfie_ I think that being in a car with someone can be a good time to have certain kinds of conversations. I'm glad that you had that conversation and it helped to strengthen your relationship. 🙂
@recharging_introvert It's so amazing that your friend trusted you enough to confide in you. 🙂 You sound like a really caring person. 🙂
A few days ago, we called one of our male relatives we haven't seen in more than a month. It was great to check in and see how we were both going. 🙂
I'd also like to check in with some of my male nursing home residents. I don't really get to chat with them often and a lot of them seem quite lonely and don't socialise as much as the female residents.
Here is a helpful resource for men to connect with each other online and a news article about it.
Hi @ecla34 and thank you for an awesome Wellbeing activity this week!
I actually had a conversation with one of the men in my life who really inspires and supports me day in and day out earlier this week. One thing I found really helpful with any conversations is to do something while we chat like a shared activity, or something we can focus on. I've been repainting my house, so talking while we are painting, while cooking, during add breaks on tv or while going for a walk has definitely helped. Anything that feels more natural and less intense!
