Celebrating International Men's Day 2020
Today is International Men’s Day, an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the positive value men bring to our families, communities and the workplace. It's also an opportunity to highlight positive role models and raise awareness of men's wellbeing. The theme for this year's IMD is "Better health for men and boys" which seems more important than ever given the challenges that 2020 has brought to all of us.
At GIN we always our encourage members to look after their mental health, especially as we continue to operate in #lockdown2 and the winter nights are drawing in. It’s not always easy for help, particularly for men. A recent survey showed 70% of men said their friends could rely on them for support, but only 48% said that they rely on their friends. In other words: they're there for their mates, but worried about asking for help for themselves. Reaching out is crucial.
This International Men's Day, we'd like to encourage everyone to speak with the men if your lives whether they be colleagues, friends or family to find out how they're doing. We also want you to feel comfortable in addressing any superficial "I'm fine" responses, and trying to understand if they really are okay. As a community we want everyone to feel comfortable expressing how they feel, and know it's 100% normal to experiencing varying highs and lows – especially in light of everything else that's going on around us.
What International Men’s Day means to us
Colleagues across the insurance market would like to tell you about some key statistics that disproportionally effect men and highlight the importance of both raising awareness and speaking up:
Additional forms of support
If you do find yourself struggling at the moment, please talk to someone – please don't suffer in silence. Below is a reminder of all the support and resources available to you.
NHS Mental Health Helplines: Whether you're concerned about yourself or a loved one, these mental health charities, organisations and support groups can offer expert advice.
Mind: Emergency advice, crisis coping tools and a dedicated Infoline are all available through Mind. You can also take a look at some of their key actions and resources on our recent guest blog with Mind in the City.
Samaritans: Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. They're available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call them for free on 116 123.Shout: A free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Since launch in May 2019, they've had more than 400,000 conversations with people who are anxious, stressed, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed and who need immediate support. Simply text 'SHOUT' to 85258.
Your workplace: Many employers have Employee Assistance Programmes, Mental Health First Aiders and qualified HR professionals that can support you. Always reach out to your leader or a colleague to get a bit of extra support.