It’s not always easy to know how a man is really doing. Partly because it’s often easier to say ‘yeah, good thanks’ than it is to really open up, especially when you’re finding the going tough. This can also, in part, be because a lot of guys adhere to prevailing notions of masculinity where a real man get on with things, doesn’t reveal weakness and is self-sufficient in fixing problems himself. 

It’s not always easy to know how a man is really doing. Partly because it’s often easier to say ‘yeah, good thanks’ than it is to really open up, especially when you’re finding the going tough. This can also, in part, be because a lot of guys adhere to prevailing notions of masculinity where a real man get on with things, doesn’t reveal weakness and is self-sufficient in fixing problems himself. 

Yet a lot of men aren’t doing that well, something the statistics sadly make clear. Global estimates indicate that over half a million men die by suicide each year, and in developed nations the consistent trend is that the rate of male suicide is three times higher than that of women. 

The Movember Foundation is committed to reducing the rate of male suicide by 25% by the year 2030. Thanks to an incredible community of fundraisers we’ve been able to invest in 135 mental health and suicide prevention programs around the world to build a better understanding of what works well for boys and men to help them stay mentally well, cope with the stresses of life and build strong relationships to support them.

This weekend, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, The Movember Foundation has launched a campaign that aims to tackle the issue at a broader population level. Called ‘Unmute. Ask him’ the activity encourages the people around men to take themselves off mute and ask a man if he’s doing O.K.

The default setting on Facebook and Instagram is for videos to play out with the sound off. This provided the perfect opportunity to get the message across that that you need to take an active approach to listening if you’re going to understand the full story. Disguised as a series of how-to videos where a man takes the viewer through simple tasks - such as  ‘Make a soda can fishing rod’ and ‘Never run out of a gas again with this simple trick’  – each video demonstrates the importance of taking the initiative to ask men how they are really doing, and not just assume everything is O.K.

We all play a part in this. Whether you’re a friend, a partner, a family member or a colleague of a man who’s finding things difficult or overwhelming you don’t need to be an expert in mental health, and you don’t need to be able to solve everyone’s problems -  just being there to hear a man and encourage him to explore his options to make things better can make the world of difference. To get that conversation started, sometimes the first step is to ask him.
Please help us get this important message out there. Check the videos out below or find them on Facebook and share them. 

And after that – please - take yourself off mute and ask a man how he’s doing.