Men's Health Week: making time to stay well

We caught up with James, Head of Lottery and Individual Giving at Demelza, to find out how he stays well and healthy in the workplace, and beyond.

How do you ensure you look after your physical and mental health?

A key thing for me is always making sure I maintain a balanced work/home life balance. Sometimes I'll log on early, or work in the evenings to complete actions or to make up hours where my manager has been flexible to me during the usual 9-5 hours. But I find it’s really important to still keep the balance during the day, by either walking or going for a run if I’m working from home.

In stressful periods at work how do you ensure your mental health remains positive?

When I am in the office, I often go for a walk - there is a great 30-minute walk around the local country lanes. When I am home, I like to take a break and go for a run, which helps me reset - I have some of my best thoughts when running and it often helps me find the answers/solutions to things. I go for a run three times a week.

Do you think men’s health can be overlooked due to the typical male stereotypes?

I do, but I think the tide is turning on this stereotype. I think it is easier these days for men to find support and talk more openly about how they're feeling.

As a senior member of staff how would you advise people you manage or other colleagues to put their physical and mental health first?

It’s important to prioritise your mental and physical health so we can keep giving 100% to Demelza. Take time to go for a walk, simply step outside or go for a run, whether it beat the start of a day, at lunch, or even after every big project, task or long email that you complete. Never suffer alone and always reach out.