What will you prioritise today for a happier, healthier tomorrow?

18 November 2022

Saturday 19th November celebrates and raises awareness of ‘International Men’s Day 2022’, and to mark the occasion we enlisted the co-operation of our brilliant Fortus men!
Last year, we focused on the past by asking the business: “What advice would you give to your younger self?“. So, this year it made sense to look ahead and focus on the priorities today that will lead to a healthier, happier life tomorrow and as we move into a New Year.

Themes for ‘International Men’s Day’ usually focus on promoting “positive male role models, celebrating men’s positive contributions, focusing on men’s health and wellbeing, highlighting discrimination, improving gender relations, and promoting gender equality and creating a safer, better world.” ¹

By now, we all know the shocking statistics, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remind ourselves of what it really means for men and the struggles they can face in everyday life.

  • Men are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than women
  • 1 in 3 men have been a victim of domestic violence
  • Men, on average, die 4-5 years younger than women
  • In terms of physical health, men are twice as likely to suffer from lung cancer as well as heart disease, compared to women. ²

Having a strong and supportive network, whether that consists of other men or not, is extremely important. Not just in tough times, but throughout a man’s life. The statistics above are hard-hitting and shouldn’t be as they are.

Other challenges and experiences are faced by:

  • Boys and men at all stages of education and work including attainment, re-training, redundancy and unemployment
  • The most marginalised men and boys in society (for instance, homeless men, boys in care and the high rate of male deaths in custody)
  • Men as parents, particularly new fathers and separated fathers. ³
So, with all that in mind, what have our Fortus men decided to prioritise for themselves? Here are the results of our recent survey…

So, what was ranked as the most important priority?

 

*DRUM ROLL*

 

1ST: ‘Make more time for friends and family’

 

And what about the other priorities?

2nd: ‘Improve my general fitness’
3rd: ‘Make mental health more of a priority’
4th: ‘Make better food & drink choices’
5th: ‘Make more time for hobbies / activities’
6th: ‘Say ‘yes’ to more experiences, such as travel’
7th: ‘Say ‘NO’ more often’
8th: ‘Sleep better’
9th: ‘Work – Use up holiday allowance, take proper breaks etc.’
10th: ‘Take up professional development courses’

For our ‘Other’ column, our men had some additional comments including:

  • Managing finances in preparation for cost-of-living increases over the following months
  • Working on spiritual health (faith & religion)
  • To stop working long hours
  • Spending more time reflecting on key achievements, and identifying development areas
  • Minimising commute time
  • Wanting to project calmness around others.

For many of us, the survey ranking probably doesn’t come as a surprise, and it may well resonate with many of our other colleagues as well…

We all live busy lives, and sometimes it’s difficult to make time for the things we enjoy when life just gets a little bit too hectic.

so, What can you do to track your progress?

Start with setting smaller goals. These will be easier to achieve, and motivating, as you make daily and weekly progress. Be proud of the small steps you make towards achieving great strides, which you should make a physical record of. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself from time-to-time in recognition of your achievements.

In setting your goals, it’s important to have more open and honest conversations about how these will make a positive difference to your wellbeing and lives as men. These will also help promote more positive conversations about men, manhood, as well as masculinity, and will both encourage you and other men and boys to set realistic and achievable goals.

 

on #IMD22, what do the results of our survey say about OUR men?

Well, to put it simply, they all want to make a positive difference to their lives. Whether that’s working on themselves in one way or another, such as their physical and mental health; or making more time for what’s most important to them, including friends, family, and having more enjoyable experiences.

So, why not act today and join our team and challenge yourself to start doing things differently and in a more positive way to increase your health, happiness, and general fulfillment in life.

If you’re struggling with any particular area in your life, please visit the ‘UK Men’s Day’ website containing an extensive list of charities and helplines specialising in many topics.

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