Simply put, mindfulness is the act of keeping our mind in the present moment. One of the common ways to practice mindfulness is through meditation. While meditation is a practice many people find helpful for their health and wellbeing, the term meditation might make us think of people sitting cross-legged repeating mantras to Tibetan meditation music. This might not appeal to all us blokes and may turn us away from the practice, but meditation is just one avenue to incorporate mindfulness into our lives.

The term mental health encompasses all aspects of our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, it affects how we feel, think and interact with the world around us. It’s important to acknowledge that “dealing with life’s challenges and changes” can be difficult at times and place our mental health and wellbeing under pressure. The effects of this will be different for all of us, as we all have an innate but varying capacity to cope and deal with these pressures.

Ironically, many of us “crack a Corona” after a long day at work as a way of easing stress, however many blokes and community members are currently feeling under the pump a little more than usual and therefore, a discussion around that discomfort is timely. The feeling of not being in control and the subsequent stress that we feel has probably never been more widespread than it is today with the threat of Covid19 (The Coronavirus) affecting not only Australia, but the world.

When learning to drive we’re constantly reminded about the importance of checking our rear-view mirror, not just when reversing or changing lanes but for general awareness of our surroundings and enhancing our peripheral vision. However, spending too much time looking in the rear-view mirror can be hazardous as it distracts us from what’s happening in front of us and may delay our ability to avoid an accident

For our small team of community educators working in the field of men’s health and wellbeing, we are always challenged on what is classified as a mental illness. We realize there is a small percentage of the population who have a genetic mental illness predisposition.  Situational Distress however describes a stage in our mental health and wellbeing that gives us permission to be in a space between being well and being diagnosed with a mental illness.  The adoption of this language resonates with blokes and community and fosters change to take personal responsibility for our own wellbeing and health.

The message that underpins everything we do at the Regional Men’s Health Initiative is “before it all gets too much ‘Talk to a Mate’. Human beings are fundamentally social in nature, staying connected and feeling valued for who we are is of primary importance to us. Talking to other people about issues in our lives or telling our stories helps us to normalise our experiences and realise we are not alone in having them. As blokes we have a tendency to retreat into ourselves when things are turning pear shaped, ‘cave time’. Much to the frustrations of most women this is a normal part of the way men tend to start processing their problems.