I’m doing 100 push-ups a day throughout November to help raise money and awareness for men’s mental health. All proceeds will be going to Mind and a donation of any amount helps fund vital services that support men’s mental health and suicide prevention. This is a cause that is very close to my heart and I believe that as men there is a strong stigma around speaking out when you are struggling, potentially out of fear of being seen as “weak” or “inadequate”. But in reality, having those difficult conversations with the people closest to you about what’s going on in your life and being raw and honest about you’re emotions is one of the bravest things you can do. It isn’t always easy to spot that someone is struggling to cope but, something just as simple as asking your friend if they’re sure they’re okay, can go a very long way and may just be what they needed to open up and get that weight off their chest. The suicide rate in the UK in 2023 was the highest it has been this century (77.4% of those being male), roughly 14 men per day take their own lives in the UK (that’s 14 fathers, brothers, friends and sons), and that’s not to mention all of the people who have suffered with suicidal thoughts whilst feeling like they have no one to turn to. No one should be fighting that battle alone and if you’re a man or woman reading this and you are struggling yourself, I encourage you to be brave and open up to a person you trust. If you feel like you don’t have anybody to turn to there are lots of groups out there such as Mind’s peer support communities, Andy’s Man Club, Samaritans, Calm and many more services who all offer help and support so that you never have to carry things on your own. So I encourage you to check up on your friends, you never know how much they might need it. Let’s break the stigma.