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Dave Joyce, CWU's National Health, Safety, & Environment Officer has written to all CWU Branches to temin them that this week is the annual Men's Health Week.
Below is an axcerpt from his letter to branches (LTB145/23), with a link to download the full LTB: Introduction The Men's Health Forum (MHF) is a charity supporting men's health in the UK and the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department has worked closely with the charity for a number of years supporting their campaigns. The MHF has attended CWU Conference, presenting and speaking at the Health and Safety fringe meeting and has attended a number of regional meetings in the past. We are pleased to see MHF strongly promoting Men’s Health Week again this year and we are happy to give our support. Men’s Health Week Theme 2023 is ‘Men’s Health and the Internet’ and asks the question – “Is too much time spent on tech?” What are the implications for men's health? That's the central question MHF are looking at for this year's Men's Health Week. Clearly there are some health benefits to being able to access health information or deliver and receive health services online but what are the downsides? Read on for full details including on MHF’s new resources on internet-fuelled addictions.
Clearly, it‘s great to be able to access health information or receive health services online (and, of course, lots more besides) but what are the downsides? MHF point out that one of the key chemical messengers in the brain dopamine. It creates feelings of pleasure and plays a role in concentration, memory and what we find interesting. In short, dopamine makes us feel good and we all like a hit of it from time to time. But the smartphone is a dopamine-delivery device that is to hand 24/7. Every single app you u se on it knows this full well and is designed to keep you using it. The potential for over-use is obvious. Even an ‘addiction’ to a pretty benign app is going to cost us time and the attention we could have devoted to more meaningful things. But what about when it starts costing money, relationships, work? MHF advise – ‘Take a Screen Break’ But there’s more that can be done. A Message to Men If you think you're spending too much time on your tech (and even if you don't), try the free CAN DO challenge which can help.
Mens Health Forum (MHF) Message to Partners
There is much more intofrmation and documentation in the original LTB145/23, which can be downloaded from the Unionsafety E-Library, along with other documentation on Men's Health. Go to Men's Health Forum for further infomation and documents pertaning to all of the issues specific to Men living a healthy life. Source: CWU Health, Safety, and Environment Dept
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With the theme this year being “Is too much time spent on tech?” the Mental Health Foundation has produced documents and posters, plus advice on several issues key to men's health.