Men's Health Week - Standing Up For Men's Mental Health with Aware NI

“I’m Standing Up For Men's Mental Health”

A huge thank you to team AWARE NI for inviting me to take part in their Men's Health Week campaign - Stand Up For Men's Mental Health.

“There’s a stigma surrounding mental health in Northern Ireland, with a mounting pressure on men to ‘Man Up’. Men are less likely to open up to their family and friends about their struggles with mental health, which can have worrying consequences. In fact, suicide is the leading killer of men under 50 in Northern Ireland and 1 in 3 men have experienced suicidal thoughts as a result of feeling stressed.”

I know how difficult it can be for men, myself included, to “open up” to others when we are feeling down/stressed/anxious/depressed. Sometimes the easiest thing is to bottle it up, for fear of ridicule or lack of support should you chose to talk about your feelings.

I can only draw on my own personal experience, and the incredible impact regular exercise and yoga has had on my own mental health. It’s the reason I became a personal trainer, it’s the reason I created BroFlo, and it’s the reason I’ve worked with Aware NI in their fundraising efforts over the last 8 years. 

Put simply, regular exercise gives me an immense sense of mental wellbeing, and improves my own feelings of self image. Yoga helps me feel grounded, less stressed, more in touch with my own feelings, and more confident and capable to help others who may be in need.

Regular exercise and yoga are not a magic solution, but they may well help. I’m Standing Up For Men's Mental Health by encouraging more men to give them a try!

“Monday 15th June marks the beginning of Men’s Health Week! Team AWARE in collaboration with our friends at Place Proud, will be using this opportunity to shine a light on men’s mental health issues.

This week, we are encouraging men to look out for each other, raise awareness, and #StandUpForMen.  

 There are 3 simple steps to take part:

• 1. Check-in on 3 of your male friends.

• 2. Tag 3 of your friends to do the same.

• 3. Donate £3 to AWARE (if you can)

Click here to donate.

Funds raised from this campaign will go towards setting up a mental health awareness programme specifically for men.”

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