As part of the #SherTheSupport initiative, your student leaders wanted to focus their attention on the Movember campaign, over the month of November. The goal is to change the face of men’s health, break down stigmas, share resources, and load the Sheridan community with information regarding men’s physical and mental health.
We asked student leaders a series of questions in support of Movember, and here’s what they had to say:
What does the Movember movement mean to you?
“To me, Movember is about confidence and my relationship with my body image. For some reason, shaving off my beard and starting from scratch helps me find new reasons to feel more confident in my own skin.” - Topher D’Penha, Customer Service Representative
“Movember to me is the time where the men in my family make me laugh. In our family of 5, three members are men, and every year they challenge each other to see who can grow the best moustache. The results typically are the same every year, and let me just say the hairy lip gene is not strong in my family. Every time I see their faces I can’t help but laugh and cherish the moment with my family members. These are irreplaceable people in my life and I want them to be as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. I think it’s important to have these conversations of men’s health as we need to undo the damage of long lasting stereotypes and myths about men and their health. We must help empower men and recognize that men’s health, both mental and physical, is important. So Movember is a fun time, but also a time where I can check in with myself and my family members to support our well being.” - Kym Santiana, TRC Digital Community Coordinator
“To me, the Movember movement is about destigmatizing issues and encouraging conversations that some men may never want to have. It helps break down traditional "masculine ideals" and allows men to open up and talk about sensitive topics. Educating everyone on the issues that men face does good not only for men, but for everyone.” - Kyle Budge, SSU President
“Movember is a movement which helps to raise awareness and inspires men to grow a moustache or challenge themselves to become physically active for the 30 days of November. Movember focuses on raising funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and metal health which aims to prevent suicide. Growing a moustache raises awareness and raises conversations which aim to help others be aware of men’s health and why it is important. The aim of Movember is for men to start taking care of their health. While some people also participate in Movember activities in memory of a loved one. The Movember movement is very important in that it raises awareness about mental health and it is easy to take part in, which is why Movember is celebrated all over the world.” - Khaleel Williams, Davis Clubs Coordinator
2. What does “men’s health” mean to you, and why is it important to have these types of conversations?
“Men's mental health means reducing the stigma that men can't talk about their feelings and emotions. Feelings are not a sign of weakness!” - Charlene Pura, Junior Designer
“Men’s health is important to me because I believe as human beings we should strive to bring awareness to often difficult issues. Men's health directly affects me because I have many amazing men in my life that I cherish. It is important to have these types of conversations because it can alert someone to get themselves checked and potentially prevent something. Being aware of certain issues brings us a step closer to solving them.” - Rida Thompson, Customer Service Representative
“Men's health, to me, is all the topics that effect everyone, but many men find difficult to talk about. I have always been very comfortable talking about these topics and have been very open to having these conversations, but have met a lot of people, of all genders, who are uninformed or uncomfortable even thinking about these topics. I think encouraging people to have these conversations will normalize them and help prevent health issues for a lot of people.” - Kyle Budge, SSU President
“I think it’s important to have conversations about men’s mental health because we always want to seek out the best in people around us.” - Jamie Rebanal, SheridanLife Radio
“To me, it means everything. The willingness to speak up and talk about something that may seem socially awkward and at the cost of being perceived by society as weak takes a lot of courage. According to traditional gender stereotypes, men don’t complain. They don’t feel; they do. They show vulnerability and shame by shutting down or shifting all of these emotions into anger and dumping it on someone else. Some men are so willing to not be seen as weak that they are willing to sacrifice their health to fit in. Movember encourages men to talk about their physical health such as prostate and testicular cancer; mental and emotional health such as shame, fear as well as suicide. Movember promotes a lot of things but to me, it is just the willingness to let ourselves be seen. It is promoting men to show up to the challenges that men don’t want to go on; let themselves be seen in all areas of life, including the ones they are afraid of; Movember encourages men to own their stories, be truthful to themselves; Movember wants to encourage men to be courageous, to speak up about the sensitive issues, to step up and fight for something they believe in. Having those conversations will be some of the scariest yet soul liberating moments many will face, but at the end of the day, brave men that choose to embrace these conversations became braver than they ever imagined. Movember started in 2004 and changed millions of lives because they dared to lead and had the conversation that is necessary for change. For this, I thank Movember and I thank every person that is reading this blog and I ask you to kindly share it with both men and women around you.” - Tony Xu, Customer Service Representative
3. Why do you think it may be more difficult for men to have conversations surrounding their mental and physical health? What are the stigmas that exist?
“I feel men don't talk about their health, especially their mental health, which is as vital as physical, because there is this huge cloud of toxic masculinity that society has created. It has made most men conform to the idea that men do not show weakness and men do not come to terms with their feelings. This creates a huge gap, especially for young men who wouldn't know how to address their feelings or their emotions. So rather than seeking help or working on it they shrug it aside and try to move on but this tends to build up over time and come up in unprecedented ways.” - Favour Okafor, SheridanLife Radio
“Many cultures have a very narrow definition of what it is to be masculine; what it is to be male. We raise our boys so frequently to never show their emotions, tell them that boys don’t cry, that emotions aren’t strong, and that they cannot confront their fears head on, lest they’ll be laughed at for it. We teach them that “being a man” means to be quiet, closed off, and only ever show strength or aggression. It’s intrinsic and it is saddening that we do not give our children and our men the chance to learn how to express themselves fully. These conversations are shut down at an early age for so many, and men are asked to shoulder their burdens silently. Breaking away from that stigma is hard. It is hard on the person who is struggling, but it is made even harder when the person they open up to does not know how to respond either. That miscommunication feels like rejection. It feels like weakness and it just feels bad for all involved. It is no wonder that men shy away from these conversations. They’ve never been taught how to have them.” - Jessica Marshall, Trafalgar Vice President
“Traditionally, men do not talk about their bodies, their health, or their feelings, and are expected to ignore them and push past them. When it becomes ingrained in you that it is "wrong" to talk about these types of things, you're going to feel uncomfortable even thinking about them. But whether you like it or not, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's mental health all exist; and they don't care if you want to think about them or not.” - Kyle Budge, SSU President
“I feel that culturally in a lot of places, men are seen as the "tough ones" and talking about their emotional or physical health is incredibly stigmatized, as it shows that they have some sort of supposed weakness. While in truth nobody can be alright one hundred percent of the time, talking about experiencing pain is a lot more accepted in women (the "weaker sex") than in men, and this is ingrained in most men from childhood, resulting in the misguided belief that being open about one's health makes one somehow effeminate (which in turn is seen as a bad thing in our still rather sexist society). Toughing it out, however, has been statistically proven to shorten men's lifespans, and is linked to an increased suicide rate, but despite this, the cultural stigmatization of men's health remains a difficult subject to discuss and therefore unlearn.” - Apollo Avery, Customer Service Representative
"I think it may be more difficult for men to have conversations regarding both their physical and mental health because, in a patriarchal society, men are expected to be strong and powerful. The "Boys Don't Cry" mentality tells men, at an early age, that expressing their emotions is weak and feminine, and that to be a true man, you must suppress your feelings. This extremely damaging mindset makes it difficult for men to have conversations around their health, as it may be perceived as a weakness.” - Abbie Siu, Trafalgar Student Life Coordinator
4. How can the Sheridan community support all individuals dealing with both physical and mental health issues?
“Sheridan does a lot for its community, and one way we can help support each other on these issues is by talking about them year-round. Movember is a good start, but keeping the conversation going all year is even better. Suicidal thoughts don't only occur in November, cancer doesn't wait for the right time of year to show itself, and stigmas surrounding men's health exists at all times. Keeping up the conversation and encouraging these types of conversations all year will help make sure that all the progress made during Movember isn't temporary.” - Kyle Budge, SSU President
5. What are some strategies you use to support your own personal health needs? What are some healthy practices students can participate in?
“It’s important to block out any external influences telling the individual that their mental health isn’t relevant or that they should endure it on their own. Know that it’s okay to take care of yourself, that it is okay to reach out and seek help.
Set aside some time to get to know yourself – a solo date, if you will. Spend time by yourself to indulge in your hobbies to help reflect on what makes you happy.
Practice self-care; this could be as simple as getting out of your pyjamas for the day, taking a shower, eating healthy meals. Celebrate these little victories based on your own standards, instead of comparing yourself to others’ expectations.
Write your thoughts down to help you organize and understand them. When seeking help, don’t be afraid to open up – counsellors/therapists are there to help, not to judge.” - Josee Cadaba, Member of the SSU Board
“In order to upkeep my personal health needs, I make sure to put aside time to do things that relax my mind and are enjoyable. This would include making a cup of tea, going for a walk or just listening to music. I try to do these activities by themselves, and not side-by-side with another activity. Some healthy practices that students can do, although simple, are:
Journaling: I find that this really lets you output your emotions and thoughts, and thus helps a person understand how and why they’re feeling the way they do. Writing out what you’re feeling can really make your thoughts more concrete.
Talking to a friend/family member: This is super important! Even if you are having a little bit of a bad day, talking to another person you trust can relieve you of some stress and the other person may even offer advice or support. Holding things in can definitely create a burden so letting those feelings out are good to do!” - Elmira Persaud, SheridanLife Radio
“I often try to do anything active, or just get out of the house for an hour to calm down and recharge after a long day. Quarantine has made my personal social outlet a struggle, but when I’m in need of time out of my head I look to get out of my usual comforting space too. Running and swimming are my main outlets at the moment, but with winter coming up I think ill turn to skiing or tobogganing.” - Shannon Umerez, Member of the SSU Board
“Personally, I think I best support myself by staying educated. I learn about the issues I may face and I look at statistics to see trends. I don't actively seek out this information all the time, but I don't ignore it when it's presented to me. Knowing that other people are dealing with these issues lets me know that I'm not alone and that there are services and supports available. I know that when it comes to my health, both mental and physical, if I ever need anything, I shouldn't be afraid to get it. I also talk to others and make sure I communicate with them about issues or concerns I may be facing. Sometimes you can't always support yourself, but if everyone was more open about these topics, we could all support each other.” - Kyle Budge, SSU President
“Protecting our mind is important because out of it comes the results of the life we are living. Don't let the world and the media dump trash in it. We also have to feed and take care of your body because at its demise the mind serves no purpose. As a Christian, regular mediation on the word of God and praying keeps my mind insulated from negativity and helps me stay happy. Daily physical exercising (push-ups, sit-ups) and sometimes going to the basketball court; and shooting some a few shots helps me to clear my mind and relax. I listen to a lot of good music as well; it keeps me excited and energized. I avoid bad company because we become what we are exposed to consistently and I love hanging around happy, joyful and energized people. A famous artist said, ‘All the money in the world is spend on trying to buy happiness, when happiness is free.’” - Noel Abingwa, Chair of the SSU Board
“I plan out a general daily schedule and cook my own food to maintain my physical health. For my mental health, I keep in touch with a few friends regularly. The healthy practices students can participate in are exercising with some fitness apps and online classes and cooking foods with healthy ingredients.” - Keyun Wang, Junior Designer