International Men’s Health Week 2021

This International Men’s Health Week Owen Connolly shares his own experience of having to take care of his physical health, in order to encourage men to look after their own health, both physical health and mental health.

Don’t just focus on looking after other people – look after yourself so that you are able to look after others.

“Well, I’m really happy to be able to speak to you today about International Men’s Health Week, because a long time ago, I wasn’t very good at talking about even my own situation. Which only that I did, and in the time deal with prostate cancer, which if I hadn’t addressed, hadn’t talked to somebody, I definitely would not be speaking to you today.

So I’m encouraging all men to look at their health very carefully, mental, physical, emotional. And have some opportunity this time to be incredibly selfish. I know that you love to help other people and to be there for people and to be the one that does all the doing because men are task orientated. That’s how they think and feel and do.

But I wish that the task they take on for this week and into the year is actually looking after themselves. To be selfish, in a way, recognising that they have issues that they need to talk about. And go and see a professional if you feel that that’s something you can do. We meet with men on a regular basis who wished they had been to see us a long time before they did. And their life may have been and can continue to be an awful lot better, having shared some of their worries and fears and concerns.

Our mental health is a very important part of our lives. We need to value ourselves. Men need to look at themselves in the mirror and say, “I actually love you” – the person that’s there facing you, you know, just looking at you and liking yourself and loving yourself enough to care for your health.

Your health is your wealth – we do know that. And if you ignore it, if you don’t take action, if you don’t move on the things that need to be done… And you might have a partner who is very good at getting things for you, but if you’re not in a partnership, you really have to do these things for yourself.

Get your vitamins. Look after your physical self, and your mental self. Talk to people. Talking is really one of the best cures. Not talking to yourself because you can confuse you. But talk yourself into talking to somebody about the things that are going on in your life. And that would be you doing yourself the best favour you’ve ever done.”