Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone in the Men's Health Forum in Ireland!

However, we know that the holidays can often be a stressful and worrying time for many people - and the COVID-19 situation this year has added even more pressure to everyone.  Therefore, please remember that if you need help and support over the Christmas period, you can always contact ...

      The Samaritans (all Ireland) - Freephone 116 123
      Pieta House (RoI) - Freephone 1800 247 247
      Lifeline (NI) - Freephone 0808 808 8000


or visit: www2.hse.ie/mental-health | www.mindingyourhead.info

 

The current joke doing the rounds is that anyone who bought a 2020 diary was mis-sold it, and should, therefore, be able to claim compensation (as COVID-19 kicked everyone’s meeting plans out of the ball park).  However, despite this, Men’s Health Week 2020 was still one of the biggest and best ever held in Ireland!

But, believe it or not, it’s that time again.  Yes, it’s time to get the most important date of the year into your new 2021 diary …  International Men's Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father's Day and ends on Father's Day itself.  This coming year, it will run from Monday 14th until Sunday 20st June 2021.

Every year, the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) convenes an all-island Planning Group for MHW.  Would you be interested in joining with others from across the island of Ireland to help to shape MHW 2021? …  This can be done in many ways - from participating in meetings to electronic communication.  All input is very welcome, and helps to make the week stronger and more relevant.

The first meeting of the Planning Group will take place on Friday 8th January via a ‘Zoom’ video call.  But even if you can’t make this meeting, your feedback on developments via email / phone would still be very helpful.  If you would be interested in being part of the planning process for 2021 (in any way), contact us. 
 
However, even if this is not possible, why not put the dates of MHW 2021 into your new diary, and start thinking about how your group / workplace / church / community / sports club ...  could do something to mark this week?  It’s never too early to start planning.

The COVID pandemic has had a huge impact upon the mental health of everyone across Ireland.  The ‘Minding Your Wellbeing Programme’ (from the Health Service Executive’s Health and Wellbeing Division) provides a unique opportunity for people to learn more about the key elements of mental wellbeing - such as mindfulness, gratitude, self-care, staying connected and resilience.  It also provides simple practical tools and guidance for people to develop and maintain a positive outlook.  A new series of five online videos has been produced, and these are available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLltgannkj2UHEc7ELQpgT6--mN4PRmzpU

Belfast Men’s Health Group has recently branched out into the world of podcasting, and have set-up their own channel at: https://belfastmenshealthgroup.podbean.com  The first two clips feature Professor Joe O'Sullivan (Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast) and Dr Mark Davies, (Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust).

To mark International Men's Day (IMD) on the 19th of November 2020, HSE Health and Wellbeing - supported by the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland and the National Centre for Men’s Health in IT Carlow - organised a webinar which explored the impact of COVID-19 upon the health and wellbeing of men and boys.  This free event: attracted 714 registrants; specifically focused upon the difficulties facing farmers, older men and young men; and included a mix of research presentations, personal experiences and panel discussion.  To view a recording of this event, please visit: https://youtu.be/xK0JhhlShvQ   PDF copies of the speakers’ presentations can be downloaded from: https://www.mhfi.org/coronavirus.html

To mark International Men's Day 2020, Traveller men from Pavee Point talked about how the COVID lockdown had affected their health, and about the positive steps they were taking to overcome this.  Hear their stories at ... https://www.facebook.com/paveepointireland/videos/665128827509753

A series of health and wellbeing podcasts have been recorded for Offaly and Laois, covering a wide range of topics relevant to everyday life.  ‘Offaly Talks’ and ‘Laois Connects' podcasts have been developed in partnership with Offaly Local Development Company, Laois Partnership Company, HSE Resource Office for Suicide Prevention (Laois Offaly), and HSE Health Promotion and Improvement (Midlands Louth Meath CHO).  They feature a wide range of interesting topics with frontline staff working across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors.  These are available on all main podcast apps including PodBean, Spotify and Apple Play.  Check them out at Offaly Talks Podcasts: https://www.offalyldc.ie/offaly-talks-podcasts  |  Laois Connects Podcasts: https://laoispartnership.ie/laois-connects-podcasts

When someone has a stroke, minutes matter - because two million brain cells die every minute after a stroke!  To learn about the signs of a stroke, and how to act FAST, visit: https://youtu.be/WckB15sJ9r4