This year’s Men’s Health Week on 13th-19th June is around the theme of ‘Time for Your M.O.T’.
The goal is to promote NHS health checks that men let slide, or struggled to access, during the dark pandemic months. In addition, the Men’s Health Forum has produced the Man MOT for the Mind manual, featuring a wealth of male-oriented hacks for good health of the mind, besides the body.
After all, gender didn’t exempt men from the same multitude of lockdown experiences, fears and uncertainties their female counterparts endured.
The thing is, we’ve been conditioned to believe that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Expressions like “Man up” and “Grow a pair” are everyday vocabulary in workplaces. In fact, these expressions get directed at both genders, by way of instructing team members to avoid traditionally perceived feminine weakness.
But the Mental Health Foundation statistics around men’s mental health are sobering, revealing that –
· “Three times as many men as women die by suicide”
- “Men report lower levels of life satisfaction than women according to the Government’s national wellbeing survey”
- “Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men”
So, it’s never been more important for 21st century businesses to create a more empathetic culture and become safer spaces for men to open up. The introduction of two powerful elements –
· Mental health first aid
· Mental health for line managers
are super-effective for helping you do just that.
Here’s how.
Mental Health First Aid
Do you have any mental health first aiders in the workplace?
· If not, it’s an awe-inspiring place to start your workplace wellbeing journey.
· If so, do you have a diverse range of mental health first aiders, optimising their accessibility to men, who might feel uncomfortable about needing a friendly shoulder to lean on?
Mental Health for Line Managers
Mental health for line managers provides your people in positions of authority the tools they need to be proactive about looking out for the mental health of their team.
This is so important, because line managers have the ability to influence workplace culture. They can develop and proactively implement the changes your workplace needs to nurture a safer space for men to open up about mental health challenges and concerns.
At Stress Matters, we’re proud supporters of Men’s Health Week and even prouder supporters of businesses that are serious about addressing mental wellbeing in the workplace. Get in touch for more information about the courses mentioned in this article.
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