THE MOST IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT YOU MAKE THIS MONTH MIGHT NOT BE AT THE DEN
We spend a fair amount of time reminding you to book your next haircut, massage or treatment.
This month, we’re asking you to book a different kind of appointment.
The GP appointment you’ve been putting off. The health check you keep saying you’ll get around to. The conversation you know you need to have but haven’t quite found the words for yet.
That one.
Men’s Health Month is a reminder that looking after yourself means more than waiting until something goes wrong. It means paying attention to your body, checking in with your head, and doing something about what doesn’t feel quite right.
Not next month. Not when work calms down.
Now.
WE KNOW HOW IT GOES
Something changes.
You notice a lump. You’re getting up more often in the night. Your energy has disappeared. Your mood has been low for longer than you’d like to admit. You Google it, convince yourself it’s probably nothing, and carry on with your day.
Sound familiar?
As men, we’re very good at putting things off. We don’t want to make a fuss, waste anyone’s time or hear an answer we might not like. Ignoring something doesn’t make it less real, though. It just means you’re waiting longer to find out what’s going on.
Not every change means something serious. But if it isn’t normal for you, don’t brush it off.
CHECK YOUR NUTS
Yes, we’re starting there.
You should check your testicles around once a month, ideally during or after a warm shower or bath.
Get to know what feels normal. If you notice a lump, swelling, hardness, pain or a change in the size, shape or weight of a testicle, speak to your GP.
Most testicular lumps and swellings are caused by something less serious, but your GP should still check every new lump or change.
We work with Testicular Cancer UK to make these conversations more normal and help more men understand what they should be checking.
Their step-by-step guide shows you exactly what to do. It takes a couple of minutes, once a month.
You’ve got time.
KNOW YOUR PROSTATE CANCER RISK
Around 1 in 8 men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.
Your risk is higher if:
● You are aged 50 or over.
● You are Black, particularly if you are aged 45 or over.
● Your father or brother has had prostate cancer.
● You have inherited certain gene changes, including BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Here’s the part more men need to know… early prostate cancer often has no symptoms.
Waiting until something feels wrong is not a reliable plan.
We work with Prostate Cancer UK to help more men understand their risk and take action.
Their online Risk Checker asks four simple questions and takes around 30 seconds to complete. It can help you understand your risk and decide whether you should speak to your GP.
Thirty seconds. You’ve probably spent longer choosing what to watch in the lounge.
NOT FEELING LIKE YOURSELF?
Men’s health doesn’t begin and end with cancer.
Maybe your energy has dropped. Your mood has changed. Your sex drive isn’t what it was. You’re struggling to concentrate, your strength has declined, or you simply don’t feel like yourself.
There could be several reasons for those changes, including stress, poor sleep, mental health difficulties, medication or an underlying physical health condition. They can sometimes be associated with low testosterone too.
What they are not is something to diagnose through social media or quietly tolerate for months.
Pay attention to what has changed, note your symptoms, and speak to your GP or another qualified healthcare professional.
You don’t need to walk in with the answer. You just need to start the conversation.
HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
We ask people how they are all the time. Most of us say “fine” before we’ve even thought about the answer.
So, try answering it properly.
How are you sleeping? How are you coping? Are you still enjoying the things you normally enjoy? Have you become angrier, more anxious, more withdrawn, or more overwhelmed?
Maybe work is getting to you. Things at home feel difficult. Your head won’t switch off, or you’ve simply stopped feeling like yourself.
You don’t have to wait until you reach a breaking point to ask for support.
Talk to your partner. Message a mate. Speak to your GP. If saying it out loud feels impossible, start with a text.
The Den isn’t a therapy room, and we’re not going to pretend that a haircut fixes everything. What we can do is create a space where men feel comfortable, share proper information and make conversations about mental health feel less awkward.
You can talk if you want to. You can say nothing at all. Just don’t convince yourself that you have to deal with everything alone.
MEN’S HEALTH STARTS YOUNG
These conversations shouldn’t begin when somebody reaches a certain age.
Boys and young men experience stress, anxiety, low mood, pressure, loneliness and everything else life can throw at them. They may not always know how to explain what they’re feeling, or they may not believe anyone will take them seriously if they try.
If there’s a younger man in your life, check in properly.
Ask twice. Listen without immediately trying to fix everything. Let him know that struggling doesn’t make him weak, difficult, or a burden.
YoungMinds provides mental health information and advice for young people, alongside support for parents and carers who are worried about a child or young person.
Young people can find advice and information here, while parents and carers can access the YoungMinds Parents Helpline and support resources.
You don’t need to have every answer.
Sometimes being the person who notices is enough to help someone take the next step.
THE CHARITIES WE WORK WITH
We don’t want this conversation to end when you close this page.
The Badgers Den proudly works with charities that support men’s physical and mental health, both nationally and in our local community.
They provide accurate information, practical support, and a place to turn when you’re not sure what to do next.
TESTICULAR CANCER UK
Testicular Cancer UK helps men understand how to check themselves, recognise possible symptoms, and know when to see a doctor.
● Learn how to check your testicles
● Read about the possible symptoms
PROSTATE CANCER UK
Prostate Cancer UK provides information about prostate cancer risk, testing, treatment and support for men and their families.
● Check your risk in 30 seconds
● Learn about prostate cancer risk and symptoms
● Find information and support
ANDYSMANCLUB
ANDYSMANCLUB offers free peer-to-peer support groups where men can talk openly without judgement.
Groups are available across the UK and online.
LLR MIND
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Mind is our local independent Mind charity, providing information, guidance and mental health support across our community.
Its services include supported self-help for people beginning to experience worsening mental health.
● Explore support from LLR Mind
● Learn about supported self-help
YOUNGMINDS
YoungMinds provides information and advice for young people who are struggling with their mental health.
It also supports parents and carers who are worried about a child or young person and need help deciding what to do next.
● Mental health support for young people
● Support for parents and carers
● Contact the YoungMinds Parents Helpline
These organisations can provide information and support, but they cannot diagnose a physical health condition.
If you have noticed a change, have symptoms or are worried about your health, speak to your GP.
Don’t sit on it. Don’t wait for it to get worse.
Get it checked.
IF YOU NEED HELP NOW
If you need urgent support for your mental health, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
You can also call Samaritans free, at any time, on 116 123.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999.
DO ONE THING THIS MONTH
You don’t have to overhaul your entire life.
Check yourself. Book the GP appointment. Tell someone you’re not doing as well as you’ve been pretending… or ask a mate how he really is. Choose one thing you’ve been putting off and do it.
We’d love to see your name appear in our bookings. But if there’s another appointment you know you need to make, book that one first.
It might be the most important appointment you make all month.