Today I’m talking to Gabe McClelland from the men's mental health movement, Hey Mate.

This absolute legend supports men to firstly open up about what’s going on for them, and secondly to live a life that feels true for them. I believe that he is quite literally saving lives, at a time where male suicide rates are higher than ever. Hey Mate is one of many emerging beautiful movements that provide a bridge for men who know they need to talk about something and figure things out, but don’t know where to start. Currently eight Australians die each day by suicide, and 75% of those who take their own life are male. 1 in 4 Australians report feeling lonely and unable to seek support for the stress that life brings. And this data doesn’t even look at the amount of men who feel lost, disconnected, misunderstood or pressured to live a life that they don’t want to live. Research shows us that the following protective factors are the leading support systems for men in managing mental health:

• supportive social relationships
• a sense of control
• a sense of purpose
• family harmony
• effective help-seeking
• positive connections to good health services available,

all of which I believe Gabe and his amazing Hey Mate team are promoting.

Here’s to humans doing brilliant work and inspiring others to do the same. It was an honour to chat about this with Gabe, and we all thank you for showing up how you do. Enjoy x