November has begun, and with it, the moustaches have grown among your friends. No, it’s not a coincidence. It just means that “Movember” has begun!
For some years now, every November, this movement has been practiced to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of men’s health. This movement has evolved and become increasingly popular worldwide, as Movember is a great way to do something good for society while having a good time with your friends. Let’s see what it’s all about!
What is Movember?
Movember is an initiative started in 2003 in Australia by the Movember Foundation. The name is a play on words that combines the English words Moustache and November.
It all started because activists challenged men to grow moustaches for an entire month to raise money for testicular and prostate cancer, while seeking sponsorship from friends, family and co-workers.
So, what started as a challenge among friends has become a global movement. Today, the Movember movement raises millions yearly and serves as a platform for raising awareness about men’s health.
The Movember Foundation has, to date, funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects to prevent conditions such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. Its goal is to reduce premature male deaths by 25% by 2030.
But what is this movement all about? Movember is a creative activism that seeks to support men in the fight against chronic and degenerative diseases, saving many lives in the process. To do this and increase the movement’s visibility, Movember challenges men to grow out their moustache during November.
The stigma associated with men’s health
In recent years, together with social movements related to mental health and the advancement of technology and science, stigma and prejudice on many issues, including the role of different genders in society, have been reduced. However, there is still a long way to go.
Among the social beliefs or ideas that still refuse to go away are those characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity, such as a reluctance to express emotions or physical pain, as well as a fear of showing weakness or vulnerability. And, of course, such socially imposed beliefs imply an associated risk to men’s health, both physically and mentally.
The problem is, under this male paradigm that teaches to hide feelings, camouflage weakness, and suffer in silence, many people avoid seeking help, which in the end leads to multiple negative consequences. This is seen in increased suicide rates and physical illnesses that progress rapidly because they are not detected in time, among other risks. For this reason, it is essential to increase the conversation about these issues in order to break this toxic dynamic and aspire to higher levels of well-being.
In the UK alone, more than 4,300 men die by suicide, making 3 out of 4 deaths carried out by men. Suicide is a complex and multifaceted issue influenced by various factors, including mental health, societal pressures, economic stressors, and personal circumstances. The disproportionately high number of male suicides may reflect the challenges and expectations placed on men within societal norms.
In response to this issue, the Movember movement aims to increase awareness of men’s health, mental health prevention strategies, and regular health checks. It encourages men to seek help when needed by raising funds for related causes.
Movember in companies
Workspaces are essential for promoting healthy habits, as they are where we all spend a large part of our day. However, ifeel’s study on Mental Well-being Trends in 2023 showed that mental health problems are still present in many work environments. In this sense, companies that join such initiatives are crucial in raising employee awareness of important issues such as health and well-being.
One of the responsibilities of Human Resources departments is to provide support tools for employees and raise awareness of the various existing issues that pose a risk to their mental and physical health. This allows the workforce to detect mental health problems early and increases their awareness of the importance of health in general so they can ask for help when necessary.
In line with this, adopting well-being programmes in companies and practicing movements such as Movember helps foster a positive, stigma-free working environment where workers feel protected. This, in turn, reduces rates of absenteeism and mental health leave.
Movember is a fun and easy way to build team spirit and engage staff, while raising awareness and the need to raise funds for men’s health.
Supporting mental well-being in organisations
At ifeel, we believe that taking care of the relationship between employees and the company means supporting workers at all times, offering services that make difficult moments easier for them, and fostering sustainable and healthy productivity.
To convey this idea, our team of psychologists, experts in well-being at work, has created a mental well-being solution for companies that brings relevant benefits to the whole team, including those responsible for Human Resources.
That’s why, through our mental well-being solution, HR managers can receive personalised, data-driven advice on improving the mental well-being of their teams. Are you part of your organisation’s HR department? Try our programme now to see how it could help you.
In addition, this programme offers all employees a complete mental health care service that they can access in different ways depending on their needs: those who wish can access an online therapy service with one of our psychologists, specialised in cases like theirs, or interact with one of our professionals to receive emotional support in a more specific circumstance that worries them.
We hope you found this post about Movember interesting. If you would like more information about our mental well-being solution for companies, simply request it, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
