This week is Men’s Health Week, which runs from June 12 to 18. The initiative focuses on improving and maintaining the health of our men, boys and their families. This year’s theme Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Keeping the Balance explores the different ways men and boys are managing to keep healthy, physically and emotionally, in a busy and sometimes challenging world.
Please take the time to read the information below:
Men’s Health Week 2017 runs from June 12 to 18. The Assistant Director of the Men’s Health Centre, Dr Neil Hall, says “good health happens when we have a sense of balance in our lives and can juggle our obligations, while also taking time to enjoy family and friends, and most importantly ourselves.”
“Taking time to pursue simple activities that bring you joy is crucial in modern life, and for this year’s Men’s Health Week we’re urging men to take the time to think about how they’re managing the different areas of their lives.”
“Being healthy is more than exercising and eating well. It’s also about making the time to pursue the activities you enjoy, whether that’s connecting with mates, going to the park with the dog, or playing and watching sport.”
Men and boys face different health and wellbeing concerns than women and girls, and Men’s Health Week is an opportunity to both acknowledge their differences and look for ways to improve the health and wellbeing of men and boys throughout Australia.
In Australia and in several other countries, men and boys experience significantly higher rates of addiction, violence, crime, accident and premature death in comparison to their female counterparts. As well, men show significantly higher rates of death from cancer, heart disease, homicide and suicide.
Young men suffer some of the most serious mental health issues of any group in Australia, but tens of thousands are staying silent rather than seeking help. The nation-wide problem has led headspace to embark on a striking national campaign aimed at one of the most influential people for many young men: their fathers.
Adding significant strength to the campaign is NRL great Nathan Hindmarsh who is joining the headspace team in an attempt to breakdown the stigma. Hindmarsh said he is proudly lending his voice to the headspace Fathers campaign. “I look at my four boys and I want them to know that I will always be available to talk to them – day or night – whatever problem they might be facing,” he said.
If you are concerned about a man that you work with or a man in your personal life, here are some tips and suggestions:
- Normalise Emotion. Emotion is a natural part of the human condition and is neither good nor bad. If you have just received bad news or had a loss, for example, it is natural to feel sad or upset. Make sure you allow men in your life to experience and express emotions the same way that you would allow this for anyone else.
- Don’t Enable Substance Abuse. If a man you are concerned about is drinking heavily or taking drugs, make sure he knows you are worried about him and don’t join him in these activities. Suggest doing something other than going to the pub. Join him in a hobby; go for a walk or a run; watch a game or TV show. Encourage men to talk about what is happening and tell them help is available – it is not weak to ask for help.
- Take Threats to Himself Seriously. If he is getting aggressive or threatening harm to himself or others, get professional help. It can be easy to think “he won’t do it” or “he’s just letting off steam”. The statistics tell us he might just act on it.
As part of the campaign, headspace clinicians have designed a set of tools and tips to help fathers to support their sons through mental health challenges. For more information please see: https://www.headspace.org.au/dads/
