According to Mind, the mental health charity, 32% of men have experienced poor mental health as a result of work, and only 12% have spoken out about work-related stress
Why do men supress their emotions?
Tony Porter of ‘A Call to Men’ coined the phrase ‘Man Box’ to explain our dominant culture of manhood. The man box refers to the enforcement of a narrowly defined set of traditional rules for being a man. The number one rule of the man box? Don’t show your emotions.
You have probably heard phrases such as “man up” or “stop crying like a girl” being used when young boys become emotional. From a young age, boys are being conditioned to believe that expressing emotions is a feminine trait, and something to be ashamed of.
The impact
Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in men’s mental health as a result of those in the media spotlight opening up about their experiences. However, men’s mental health continues to be taboo in the workplace, leaving many afraid to admit to how they feel, especially to their manager. Reports worryingly suggest that men consider taking their own lives because of pressure, anxiety and stress from trying to conform to the traditional societal expectations and gender roles and mask feelings of sadness and worry. Source: Supporting Men’s Mental Health :: Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (lscft.nhs.uk)
What can you do?
According to the ONS around three-quarters (76%) of suicides registered in 2021 were males, this has been consistent for many years. Knowing your people and learning to recognise changes in behaviour when they may be struggling will offer an opportunity to start a supportive conversation. This is the first step in mitigating the impact of mental health struggles and beginning to reduce this heart-breaking statistic.
Poor mental health can present itself in many different ways, however it is known that some symptoms of depression are more common in men than women, including irritability, anger, loss of control, and increased risk-taking. They are also more likely to look to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism.
For people to become comfortable with talking about their mental health at work, a culture where it is psychologically safe to show vulnerability must be created. Here are some ways this can be achieved:
- Be open to showing your own vulnerability. Being able to show your own vulnerability can encourage others to do the same.
- Listen without judgement. Allowing someone the space to speak without passing judgement can be all someone needs. Listen to hear, not to respond. What is their body language telling you that their words might not be?
- Keep in touch. Surveys from mental health charities are finding that millions of people report feeling lonely on a daily basis. Make a conscious effort to reach out to those around you, start the conversation.
Our solutions
We offer a series of workshops that aim to provide your people with a good understanding of the importance of mental health issues and their impact on performance and teams; alongside tools to enable your people to confidently talk about mental health at work.
Mental Health for Managers – our programme of training run over three x half-days helps managers to support staff with their mental health and wellbeing by identifying signs of people struggling to cope, understanding how to start the conversation, and committing to creating an open culture where mental health is valued and discussed.
Stress Management – these six one-hour workshops help your people to develop resilience and identify tools and techniques that help improve resilience at work.
Mental Health First Aid – we offer a 2-day Mental Health First Aid training course through MHFA England which is a great resource to offer your people alongside a commitment to supporting good mental health in the workplace.
Equality and Diversity – this three-hour session helps create an awareness of cultural differences, the impact of unconscious bias and how to address our biases to increase inclusion in the workplace.
What else is out there?
There are lots of different organisations which focus on supporting men with their mental health and wellbeing which you can direct your staff to.
Men’s Sheds Association – a community space for men to connect, converse, and create. The ‘sheds’ are all over the UK and you can find one nearest to you here. They are about reducing loneliness, increasing social connections, building friendships, sharing knowledge and skills, gaining a sense of purpose and belonging, and having fun!
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – “Offering life-saving services, provoking national conversation, and bringing people together to reject living miserably.”
Movember – “Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.”
Take a look at our LinkedIn post about Movember for some more information.
Prevention is better than cure.
Promote good working practices. Promote good living practices.
Call us today on 07880 776756 or email jacqui@yourpeoplepotential.co.uk
