The month of June has finally arrived, and although this might not mean much to some of you, it should. In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating Fathers Day! A day when all the dads hopefully get to put their feet up, maybe enjoy some quality time with the family and enjoy a great meal as a small token of appreciation for all you do. Perhaps these dads are able to get out for a round of golf, maybe spend the morning fishing, and why not? If your schedule or finances allow it, you should be able to enjoy your day. Or maybe you’re a man of simple pleasures and just having a conversation over coffee with your family is enough for you to enjoy. Regardless, taking time to appreciate this day is a priority. After all, being a dad is a hard gig! Which brings me to my long winded point. One of the many facets of being a dad is setting the example for what it means to be not just a dad, but a man, and
from day one it’s a 24/7 position.
Now I’m not here to argue that some dads don’t have it harder than others, or that some may or may not have stepped up to the plate, or even that some jobs are or are not harder than being a dad…I’m here to lay a challenge to all men this June! Simply put, if you’re in a position to be a positive male role model in your “circle”, and especially if you are a father, I want you to ask yourself what is the example you’re setting this Fathers Day? Now before this whole concept gets taken out of context, let’s keep it within the context of how do you prioritize your own health? In my personal and professional opinion, mens health is never prioritized and it needs to be a 24/7 thing. After all, like it or not, boys look to men on how they should carry themselves, and men look to older men for the same thing; that means you dad! Growing a mustache for one month a year as a sign of your support is not enough. Time to get off the couch…
This is a call to action, to all the dads, future dads, or really any men in general. The “dad bod” is out, and quite frankly it should never have been “in”. I don’t mean the look of a dad bod specifically, I am referring to what it is associated with – lack of action. It doesn’t take much of a scientist to draw some correlations with this concept of “the dad bod”, with the three major killers of men worldwide. In case you were unaware, these include mental health and suicide, testicular cancer and prostate cancer (for more info see https://ca.movember.com/) . All of these are serious issues that men of all ages face, and you dads out there have an absolute obligation to take care of yourselves to make sure they aren’t a thing you need to worry about. So here is my “MONTH OF JUNE: DOUBLE DOWN ON FATHERS DAY CHALLENGE”…I’ll keep it simple for the new guys…and for the record, I live in small community, and I plan on meeting this challenge myself but if any patients catch me “slipping” feel free to let me know!
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This is super important. If you’re lucky enough to be able to see your father on Fathers Day you should, if not there should be a conversation.
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Be active regularly…and no you don’t get enough exercise at work, and if you think this you’re looking at “exercise” wrong. I’m not saying you should be able to run a marathon everyday after work…but you should want to. Exercise is not just a tool to sharpen your body, but it also works great for your mind.
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Find something you enjoy doing, do it often, and lean into it as much as your life allows you to. Don’t be afraid to try something new even if it scares you too, it might be worth it.
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Try and support your fellow dads, or other members of the man tribe on their journey. Maybe this is the chance for you to encourage your dad to get moving, or maybe it’s a reality check for you to get your son moving!
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Talk more, and talk often. Talk to your friends. Talk to your dad. Talk to your son. Etc.
I hope this article inspired readers to set an example for those looking at you. If you’re a man and especially a dad you need to know that we, as men, need to take our health more seriously and it’s a worldwide problem. It is our obligation to each other to not just aspire to be better for ourselves but for those whose lives we influence. June is here, the weather is beautiful. It is time to take action. Are you up for the challenge?