Expert Trades has launched the first episode of its new mental health Podcast: MENTalk.
The majority of the Expert Trades community are male trades professionals, who are stereotypically ultramasculine, confident and full of playful banter.
While this may sometimes be the case, they can also often be isolated, stressed and struggling with their own mental health problems that they feel unable to share.
Click here to listen to the podcast
The MENTalk Podcast aims to challenge these stereotypes and provide support by encouraging open and honest conversations about mental health. Men in particular are encouraged from a young age to suppress their emotions, meaning they often don’t seek out help for mental health issues when they need it. The topic has never been so important, with suicide being the most common cause of death for men aged 20-49 in the UK.
Adam Callow, CEO Expert Trades said:
“For a man to express his feelings, there is a constant worry that this will be viewed as a sign of vulnerability, but we want to break the stigma and turn this into a sign of strength and a way to heal.
“It all started when a member of our community reached out into our private Facebook group to ask for places or people to turn to when struggling with depression, which led to a flood of supportive messages offering advice and kind words. This made the Expert Trades team
consider what we could do to help our community on a more personal level, and the MENTalk Podcast was born.
“You can sometimes forget that every member of our community is not solely a trades professional. They are business owners, husbands, wives, mums and dads; and running a small business whilst balancing life can be extremely challenging. I am extremely proud that members of our community wanted to use our podcast as a platform to tackle such an important topic and get more trades to speak up when they are struggling.
“The series will be hosted by a member of our community, Steve Smith, who will then invite other members of Expert Trades along to discuss their own experiences with mental health. We hope that this will encourage others to feel more comfortable about sharing how they are feeling, and influence them to find ways of managing their own mental health. Here’s what the members of the first MENTalk Podcast had to say about why they wanted to get involved.”
Lee Woodgate, iGas Heating Ltd said:
“I am trying to encourage men to speak more openly about their issues and emotions, as I know the benefit it can have on you mentally, having been to see a professional myself to talk things through. If it can help even one person, in a small way, then I’ll be delighted.”
Stephen Blair, 3T Gas maintenance Ltd said:
“I feel we need to raise awareness of mental health in men, and encourage people to speak out and ask for help. I’ve battled against mental health issues the majority of my life, and you have to remember it’s okay not to be okay.”
To listen to the podcasts click the following link to download the app.
