Jed Simpfendorfer – Director of Strategy & Partner, T garage Research
So, June was Men’s Mental Health Month.
If you’re a bit of an old-school bloke like me, you might be good at showing up for others. But not always so good at doing the same for yourself.
Let’s be honest, our industry is tough for mental health. Tight deadlines, demanding clients. The constant pressure of driving growth while cutting costs.
To add a layer on top is raising young kids or supporting ageing parents. It can all feel a bit overwhelming.
Sometimes it’s hard to step back, take stock and ask, how am I really doing? And how am I showing up for the people around me?
At T garage, for Men’s Mental Health Month, we decided to tap into our 25,000-strong consumer community to find out how the average Australian male is really feeling and what they’re doing about it.
The results aren’t exactly upbeat (Sayso, 2025):
- About a third of Aussie men say they're less satisfied with life than most people
- 1 in 4 Aussie men say their mental health needs work
- Half of us will face a mental health challenge at some point
- Many of us… won’t talk about it
Men who rate their mental well-being as poor are also far less optimistic. Nearly three-quarters say they don’t feel as hopeful about the future.
And when we asked blokes what’s getting to them? Top of the list was:
- Money stress (74%)
- Relationship stress (60%)
- Work stress (60%)
That’s a lot to carry, the triple-decker stress sandwich.
What was also interesting was the techniques men said they found effective at helping them manage this stress. Spoiler: it wasn’t breathwork or meditation.
- Only 35% found techniques like mindfulness or meditation helpful
- 84% said more sleep would help
- 72% said having hobbies made a difference
It’s also very likely that “not feeling like you are on your own little life island” would help.
So this week, a bunch of our team started wearing Gotcha 4 Life bands.
Members of the T garage team proudly modelling their Gotcha4Life bands (an UnLtd supported charity).
It’s just a simple band. It doesn’t balance your chakras or teach you meditation by osmosis.
But it does remind you to check in with yourself and your mates. To go beyond the classic “Yeah I’m fine,” when you’re actually sitting on a bit of a mental bonfire.
We all like helping others, but to paraphrase a bit of Brene Brown, can you really show up for others if you don’t know how to ask for help yourself?
This isn’t just a men’s issue. It’s a people issue.
Your team, your audience, your customers — they’re all navigating the same messy soup of pressure, fatigue, and “how do I do life better?”
They don’t want jargon. They want real. They want to feel seen.
So next time you're crafting a comms strategy, planning a meeting, or replying to someone’s “how are you,” maybe skip the spin.
And if you're an old school bloke like me, still figuring out how to open up, then maybe a simple wristband is a place to start.
Small steps count!
So if that sounds like something your team or your mates need, grab a few bands at gotcha4life.org.au or your local Chemist Warehouse.
Check out our previous articles here - In the Trends: Could the right marketing help Australia get its mojo back? - AdNews