Being sick for most of November’s been a royal pain, keeping me from doing everything that was on my list for the month. My stack of blog drafts’ as thick as ever; house doors still squeak in dire need of some WD-40; emails sit unanswered in my Gmail inbox, and I couldn’t tackle Movember with the gusto I would were I at 100%.
It wasn’t for lack of ‘stache—my facial hair’s grown in nicely (much to my wife’s chagrin), and I’ve taken photos along the way to prove it. But it’s fitting that one of Movember’s foci are on mental health because I started feeling a real sense of burnout as I started closing 2015 off?
Mental Health & Movember Canada | Why We Need to Take Better Care of Ourselves.
I’m often told I put far too much pressure on myself, a constant stressor than can lead to very real health ramifications. What I thought was a simple cough at November’s beginning turned into a case of mild bronchitis, and before I knew it, I was in the month’s last days taking a sick day, laid out on my bed as a month with tons of work, too little rest and all the worries in my head weighed down on my soul.
Though far too many men avoid going to the doctor, thinking they can overcome any ailment through their own strength, I’m one to take advantage of our universal health care system (and corporate drug benefits) to drop in for a quick visit and get an inhaler to help with the problem.
So I fully support Movember—I support its Move program in a world where we’ve grown far too sedentary, too used to a world that hands things to us than having to push ourselves to our limits to get anything of value in our lives. I support its fight against prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and the mental ailments that often go overlooked, we men stubbornly believe we can just “get over” the things that bother us, never stopping to consider that some things simply can’t be handled alone.
I support one of the biggest charitable movements known to humankind, inspiring countless numbers of my peers to go out and make a difference each November, whether through collecting donations at work or by playing more active roles in the various events held to support the cause!
It would’ve just been nice if I were in better health so I could do more to support it myself.
Support Movember While You Can—You Never Know When You’ll Need it YOURSELF.
So I hope all the Mo Sistas and Mo Bros out there have had an amazing Movember so far, and that your effort got you the results you wanted! As for my Team Thomas crew and me, you’ve got a few days yet to donate to our efforts, so if you feel so inclined, hit us up at the Team Thomas Movember page, or my personal one. And if you haven’t entered yet, remember that I’m running a contest ’til the month’s end for a Thomas & Friends Turbo Flip Thomas, the perfect gift to put under the tree for your little one!
Staying true to a cause isn’t easy. It takes commitment, dedication, and the time to do a good job of it. I could sit here and regret everything I didn’t accomplish with my Movember campaign, or I could focus on the road ahead, building a life where maybe—just maybe—I can make a great difference in the world around me!
Keep doing good in the world and until the next,
–case p.
Disclaimer: Yes, I’m receiving compensation for the series of posts I’m writing for Movember, but I’m taking the task seriously, doing what I can to build awareness around issues that men too often try to sweep under the rug.
There’re a ton of brands and organizations collaborating to make something like this happen, but if you want more info on the ones relevant to my journey, you can check them out below:
Kudos to you, my friend, for supporting men’s health causes but especially for taking care of yourself when you need it. It’s a darned respectable ‘stache and you’re rocking it.
As for those squeaky doors, you want 3-in-1 oil, not WD40, for a long-term fix. The WD stands for water displacement, it’s designed to lubricate/de-rust/etc by pushing water out, but doesn’t necessarily last. I’ve done squeaky hinges both in the house and on vehicles with 3-in-1, as well as things like wagon wheels and clothesline pulleys. It’s worth the minimal investment because you won’t have that squeak creeping back up to stress you again.
I appreciate the comment, Louise! 🙂
And thanks for letting me know about 3-in-1 oil; I’d never heard of it before, and see it’s easy to track down at the big chain hardware stores! I’ll make it happen 😀
Hope the fam’s doing well 🙂
Dare I ask what a Turbo Flip Thomas is?
A very innocuous children’s toy, sir — a Thomas the Tank Engine that can do wheelies, backflips, and has a lighted track it projects to emulate travel as it drives forward and backward through the house ?
I’ve linked to it at the bottom of this comment!
Ahhh okay haha. I was so confused because I’d never heard of it before!
For good reason — it only came out recently as part of the 70th anniversary toys of Thomas & Friends ?
I could see how your mind might go… elsewhere, though ?