Today is International Men’s Day, marked annually and aiming to raise awareness and promote positive conversations around the subject of men’s health.

We have the most incredible men working across our whole business, and we aim to support our team through our award-winning Wellbeing Programme. We recognise that statistically men are less likely to seek support for mental and physical health worries and may find it more challenging to speak to others when times are tough. As a business we’re striving to change this mindset, and we encourage our team members to focus on their health and wellbeing – with no stigma or shame attached.

Today we’re highlighting the many routes to support we offer our team members and specifically signposting support around men’s health issues. We’re also welcoming a special guest speaker from the Men’s Shed Association to our monthly Team Rygor virtual Coffee Break session to publicise the importance of connection to mental wellbeing. These sessions are always a fantastic opportunity to connect and spend time as a team!

We strive to be a business where our team members feel free to open up and be authentically themselves. we’re fortunate to have an amazing team who act as incredible roles models to each other, in line with our core values, so… a huge shout-out to Team Rygor and Happy International Men’s Day 2024!

Here’s what three of our team had to say, to mark International Men’s Day:

Inspirational Men at Rygor (and what they’ve got to say about their own health and wellbeing)

“Mental and Physical health is very important to me and when I function at my best quite simply it is when I’m taking care of myself through good nutrition, getting outdoors and doing things I enjoy to keep physically fit.

“However in recent weeks I have had quite a bit going on with building work at home, very busy at work and lots of things to stay on top of for the kids, so ultimately that has resulted in me spending less time on myself and not necessarily looking at what I eat as much as I could and should, having less time to go to the gym or exercise and I have found myself feeling more fatigued and stressed with certain situations.

“This can and will happen to all of us at some point and it just shows the benefit of looking after yourself, what you eat and how you choose to keep yourself physically healthy as ultimately when you feel physically healthy you normally feel mentally healthy also.

“I will get back to it as soon as the building work on my house is complete and I know it will have a positive impact on me and I hope everyone takes the time to check in on themselves and each other and look after your own Health as it makes a huge difference to your mentality and effectiveness in everything you do.”

Sean Joyce, Aftersales Director at Rygor Group Ltd.

“Taking care of your health is so important to be able to live life to the fullest, it enables you to really enjoy every part of your life and balancing a healthy work life balance alongside vital downtime is crucial to being healthy!
 
“I spend a lot of time either at work, or travelling between sites and home; which can present challenges to that healthy balance – so I listen to podcasts, audio books, or my favourite music. What I also try to do is ensure all calls have been returned before I head home for the day, which gives me time to relax and unwind after a day’s work. This normally means when I get home, I am relaxed and ready to be Dad, Step-Dad, Partner, etc. to my family

“Hobbies are also important and taking time to take part but also enjoy them is vital for me. I play football and it may seem a bit corny but when you step onto that pitch most problems disappear and it’s just me, my team, and the game ahead. It really is a massive relief and break from the hustle of everyday life.
 
“I’ve battled with my mental health from a young age. A combination of counselling, medication and being the best dad I possibly can be and making the most of every second I have with my children enables me to keep my mental health in check, but I am the first to admit that I was at a really low point. Without the support of friends, family, and medical professionals I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

“In my opinion, key points are:

• be aware of your emotions
• take care of yourself
• speak to people and ask for help when you feel you need it
• be kind to yourself (it’s okay to not be okay)
• never be afraid to speak up!

 If you need to talk to someone, please reach out to someone you trust.”

Andy Ledbury, Area Aftersales Manager, Rygor Auto

“We all have times in our lives when we don’t feel at our best. When we have worries on our mind, times when the road ahead can seem a long and lonely one. Sometimes, as men, we can struggle to deal with and articulate the emotions that we feel.

Many of us from a young age through parenting, schooling and early employment have been conditioned to just ‘get on with it’, to toughen up, show no weakness. ‘Man Up’ (as the saying goes). Most of us can and have followed this mantra, and many of us did because it was seen as the socially acceptable thing to do.

For many years there was little support or awareness of help available for men’s mental health issues, and sadly, many of us will have lost people from our lives who felt there was no other escape from their demons. Thankfully. Times have changed and there are now many more avenues to gain support, some reassurance or just the opportunity to talk with someone when the world becomes difficult.

Within the Rygor business there are many resources available to us with our wellbeing in mind, and signposts to getting the help we might sometimes need.

I have found that with some of my own life experiences, the longer I have left an issue to fester and tried to bottle it up (hoping it would go away) the more damaging and ever present it became. Solutions could have been easier, better and I could have reduced the pain and impact on others had I not been so stubborn, if I had shared how I was feeling and what I was worrying about, and got some help.

For me as an individual I found the impact of COVID to be a bit of a watershed, as we all experienced a unique and unheralded time in our lives with a whole range of fears, inhibitions and emotions. Prior to this I would often ask of friends and colleagues with what I thought was sincerity. Questions like: “How are you?” How’s things?” or “You alright?”, and mostly, I’d get the metaphorical thumbs up. I’d hurry on with my day and think everything was fine with the world: job done, all is well, all good.

That time in my life taught me more about perspectives, work and the ability to provide for our loved ones, hunter gatherer some might refer to it is very important to us but there are other priorities as well, our health and wellbeing one of them.

Sometimes things aren’t alright with people. Sometimes it becomes clear someone is struggling – the sparkle is not in their eyes, their expression, their body language, some changes in their behaviour. I found what helped me, and hopefully some of the people in my world was going back with that second question, a bit more probing, hopefully easing the door to their thoughts and worries open just a little, and giving them the opportunity to talk things over.

It’s very much a two-way street, and I have also been able to open up with my own life pressures at times, to the people within the wonderful team I work with at Kidderminster as well as the wider Rygor family.

Sometimes it is tough to have those searingly honest conversations, that might be about things close to me or sensitive, but often this has helped me.“

Neil Cook, Service Manager at Rygor Auto Kidderminster