Men’s Health Week is a great opportunity to spotlight and create awareness around common and preventable health problems affecting men of all ages. It is also a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle and the positive impact prioritising your health makes to your overall wellbeing.
We sat down with some of our leadership team to talk about what Men’s Health Week means to them and why putting a spotlight on this is important. The common theme was that there are often stereotypes around health as a topic for men, and that among all the commitments we have as individuals and the roles that we play – as a partner/spouses, parents, friends and colleagues – there often isn’t enough time in the day to focus on health unless there’s a concerted effort to make it a priority. There was also a direct correlation between physical fitness and mental and emotional wellbeing for many of our leaders.
Q. What Do You Enjoy Doing in Your Downtime/What Are Your Hobbies Etc?
Anthony, our Partnerships Manager joined the team at the start of 2022. Married with two teenage boys, he’s at the pool 5-6 times a week supporting his son’s passion for swimming. In his downtime, he enjoys “nothing more than a sunny weekend morning exploring the Victorian countryside on my motorbike”.
Wolf joined the team in August 2021 as our Head of Strategic Operations. Having worked in global start-ups for 3 years focused on logistics, he was “really excited to have been given the opportunity to apply my learnings to something as important as healthcare”. With a young family of 3 boys aged 3, 5 and 8, he and his wife spend their downtime together playing sports, adventuring, cycling and running along the beach.
Q. How Do You Prioritise Your Health – Be It Physical or Mental Health?
Ben, our Country Manager has been leading the team since October 2021 and values fitness, connection and the outdoors. He loves any sport with his two kids, running and surfing/swimming in the ocean down the coast. In his downtime he unwinds with a glass of wine with his wife at any of the local coastal vineyards. Prioritising running five times per week is “a non-negotiable for me when it comes to planning the week ahead”.
Chetan, our newest member of the leadership team joined as Head of Expansion and Special Projects last month. Hiking, playing squash and trying new foods are part of his downtime with Bunnings being his most frequently visited destination recently thanks to his new passion for DIY. “Prioritising my health definitely takes effort. During busy periods it’s easy for me to fall into bad habits that impact my physical and/or mental wellbeing”. Chetan manages this in three ways; he uses morning exercise to prioritise his health as he has control over what time he wakes up. He tries to bring lunch from home when possible to ensure he’s properly nourishing his body, and he limits or switches off devices after hours for proper downtime.
Q. Why Do You Think a Week to Highlight Men’s Health Is Important?
Matt, our FInance Manager joined in February 2022. An avid foodie, he spends most of his downtime in the kitchen. He prioritises his health by planning and preparing meals with fresh vegetables and lean proteins and limiting carbohydrates. When reflecting on a week for men’s health, Matt notes that stereotypically focusing on health can be very low in the ever-growing list of priorities for men. “Commitments to work, family, and social obligations often precede any thoughts of looking after ourselves. A highlight on men’s health helps to remind us that these other things we hold important are all contingent on us staying healthy”.
Having historically experienced high stress levels and dealt with the negative impact of this, Anthony say’s focusing on his health, in particular, his mental health is so important. “I’m always looking for ways to switch off and take time out. Nothing better than some music (big fan of 80/90s rock) or the wind in the face on the motorbike”. Chetan calls out the current society norms of men typically not speaking up nearly enough about their health. “Removing this cultural stigma is important so having a week highlighting men’s health will help change thinking and societal norms”.
Wolf adds “too often we get caught up in the daily grind and miss the key objective that what we do is there to enrich our lives. We focus on what needs to be done right here and now and forget about ourselves and those around us”. For Wolf, Men’s Health Week acts as a reminder that it’s ok to step back and take the time and headspace to focus on ourselves. “It’s really important to me that I get the right balance between work, family and me-time. As an observant jew, I observe the sabbath, switching off all technology from Friday evening to Saturday night. The day is spent with the family enjoying time and meals together. This downtime allows me to mentally set up my week ahead”. Supporting his mental wellbeing, Wolf sets aside one weeknight per week for “date night” with his wife which ensures they get valuable time together and to debrief and plan ahead.
Q. Do You Think Work/Life Balance Affects Health?
All five of our interviewees agreed that when work and life were unbalanced, there is a negative impact across all sections of their lives. “Anytime one of these are being neglected it impacts not only yourself but people around you. Balance is exactly that, allocating your best to those that need you most in the current moment” says Ben.
When life becomes unbalanced, Matt says the “effects on my mood, sleep, and overall mental health are tangible. Alternatively, when the optimal balance is struck, I am my most effective at home and at work.” For Wolf, getting the right work-life balance is essential to staying on top of his health. “I’ve had times through my career where I haven’t taken my routine seriously and the balance slips away, but it’s during these times where I found I get irritable, tired and the more I work the less focused I can be.” Now when Wolf feels this happening he reassess his priorities and seeks support from colleagues instead of trying to do it all himself. “Homage has been amazing and together with the support of a great team I’ve been able to maintain focus, routine and stay on top of my health”.
By starting the conversation, we are able to put a spotlight on how physical and mental health are interlinked to wellbeing. Sharing personal experiences and routines of how to prioritise and focus on men’s health can hopefully make an impact on someone who is struggling to balance work and life. Anthony summed it up best, “if the message to take time out and refocus on one’s self can save one man from the negative impacts of poor health it’s worthwhile”.
Stay tuned for more about the common conditions affecting men’s health and things you can do to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle in our Men’s Health 101 article later this week.
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