“We’re not talking about toxic masculinity...it’s about how we look at healthy masculinity, and expanding what masculinity should look like.” - Mark Hedstrom
In this episode of Dressing for Wellness, hosts Taylor Draper and Steven De La Roche talk to Mark Hedstrom of Movember about the origins of the movement, how to have difficult conversations around mental health, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on how men connect with one another.
3 Key Points
- Movember focuses on giving men the tools to have conversations about their mental health and works with existing community organizations to reach Black men and veterans in particular.
- Men often connect in places like barber shops and sports games, and the pandemic has caused them to lose those spaces.
- Being a corporate citizen is an extremely important part of running a business that serves both employees and customers well.
Episode Highlights:
- In 2007, Movember became global, and they now bring awareness to three causes: mental health awareness for men and boys, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.
- Movember has focused particularly on communities of color with their mental health awareness work.
- Movember doesn’t focus on toxic masculinity; rather, they focus on helping men and boys find healthy avenues to cope with their trauma and other mental health struggles.
- They ask themselves how they can engage with communities on the ground and work with local organizations like churches and community colleges to spread their message.
- Movember is launching a product called Family Man this November to help men talk to their children in a healthier way.
- The vast majority of their fundraising happens during the month of November, but they do work year round.
- Mark lost a close childhood friend to pancreatic cancer at age 35.
- He and his friend group weren’t able to engage with their friend about what he was going through because he didn’t know how to start that conversation, and that helped motivate him to continue doing the work he does.
- Depression has risen to over 6x its usual numbers during COVID-19.
- 500,000 men take their own lives every year.
- Men often connect in places like barber shops and sports games, and the pandemic has caused them to lose those spaces
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