International Men’s Day offers people the chance to celebrate the positive value men bring to the world, and to raise awareness of the issues men face, so how can people mark the occasion?
Twitter users had some suggestions, many of which focused on mental health.
1. Look after yourself
Happy #InternationalMensDay you sexy men. Ignore the absolute dickheads who use this day to be absolute dickheads. The stigma around male mental health still exists, so spend some time looking after yourself, check in on a mate, let’s look out for each other as much as we can
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) November 19, 2018
Spending time looking after number one is first on the agenda – whether it’s seeing a therapist or being a bit kinder to yourself.
2. Look after others
It’s #InternationalMensDay. In the UK men remain three times as likely to take their own lives than women.
Sometimes we say we’re fine when we’re not. So if your mate doesn’t seem okay, don’t forget to #AskTwice. pic.twitter.com/xxxD3uAiAa
— NHS England London (@NHSEnglandLDN) November 19, 2018
The NHS says that in the United Kingdom men remain three times as likely to take their own lives as women, while Calm, a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, says suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.
To help combat this, the #AskTwice campaign encourages people to double check whether or not their friends are as fine as they say they are.
3. Be yourself
In school I was told ‘Flowers are for girls’.
Thank God I never listened.#InternationalMensDay
— James Wong (@Botanygeek) November 19, 2018
Another way to celebrate International Men’s Day is to allow people to be who they want to be, as botanist James Wong perfectly illustrated.
4. Keep an eye on your physical health too
It’s #InternationalMensDay Check your balls for lumps, mind your mental health, don’t compare yourself to anyone else, you have intrinsic value.
— Rubber Bandits (@Rubberbandits) November 19, 2018
Checking your physical health is so important. Cancer Research UK suggests a good time for checking your testicles is after a warm bath or shower, so give it a go.
5. Donate to charity
Happy #InternationalMensDay to all my male and non-binary pals ? take care of your mental health today and if you feel like helping, why not donate to men’s mental health charity @theCALMzone? https://t.co/3t84v8w9aV
— emily chudy (@emilychudy) November 19, 2018
Meanwhile, donating to charity such as CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is also a great way to show your support.
6. Educate
Brought up and raised by a dedicated mother, taught morals, kindness and love; it was a woman who suffered DV who made me the man I am.
On #InternationalMensDay I ask men to speak out against domestic violence + help young men growing up talk about how they interact with women.
— David Challen (@David_Challen) November 19, 2018
And it’s important to help educate one another and improve too. The Office for National Statistics said that, for the year ending March 2017, an estimated 7.5% of women (1.2 million) and 4.3% of men (713,000) experienced domestic abuse in the preceding 12 months.
7. Celebrate one another
Use #InternationalMensDay to let the men who have inspired or had a positive impact on you know just how much they mean to you. Will mean the world to them (even if they don’t show it)
— Asjad Nazir (@asjadnazir) November 19, 2018
Overall, International Men’s Day is a time to celebrate the positive influence men can and do have on society as a whole, so why not let the men who inspire you know how much you appreciate them?
Follow all of these suggestions, and International Men’s Day 2018 is sure to be a success.
