In 1624, John Donne famously described no man as being an island – in 2021, our mental health campaign with Yogeez and Shout makes the same point.
As biased as we may be, No Man’s An Island is an important campaign – and one you should pay attention to. Mental health, you see, has gained more attention over the past few years. And whilst that’s a good thing, there’s still so much more to do. Royalty and celebrities alike have become champions of the cause, using their platforms to raise awareness of the subject. A royal Duke of Sussex laid bare his battle with anxiety, a wrestling god spoke of his depression – and Captain America opened up about his struggles with mental health.
As a publication, we’re keen on working on campaigns that help effect positive change. Good job, then, that we found Yogeez. Led by Nick Gold, the Arsenal and yoga-loving founder of the platform, their work focuses on all things men’s mental health. Backed by a clan of cheeky chappy geezers – Patrick Price, Mani Cezzane and Gabriel Godfrey-Janni – they’ve worked to create a space where ‘geezers’ are free to be themselves – and to be vulnerable.
Together, we worked on our No Man’s An Island campaign, a mental health video aimed at getting more men to open up. Backed by the saints at Shout, a national health charity, we spoke to 10 men about everyday issues.
To explain a little bit more about the campaign, we sat down with the guys from Yogeez. Who exactly are you, I asked? And like all good leaders, Gold delegated the task of answering to Price: “A space for all geezers to come together and be vulnerable and try things they aren’t used to”, he replied, after a few giggle-filled attempts. Their mission is to redefine what it means to be a man – or better put, to encourage more men to be themselves. Redefining what it means to be a man means rethinking what it means to be a ‘geezer.’ With a platform that engages hundreds of people, they have a responsibility to do good – a responsibility they clearly take seriously. Taking that responsibility seriously doesn’t mean being serious – and the ‘geezers’ at Yogeez are intent on having fun.
Partnering with them on our NMAI campaign, then, made sense. Over Zoom, we talked through what we wanted from this campaign – and the impact we wanted to achieve. Too many cooks, it’s been said, spoil the broth – but in our case, they only made it better. Armed with a passion for the subject and a will to do good, we agreed on what we wanted to do: produce a campaign that places an emphasis on men opening up. Choosing the name was no easy task. I quite like Dave’s “We’re All Alone in This Together”, I told the team. But upon reflection, risking the wrath of Dave’s lawyers – and his fans – wasn’t worth it. Plus, given our goal of interviewing him, it was best to think of something else. Over a late-night Zoom call, the perfect name finally dropped: No Man’s An Island.
Encouraging people to open about mental health means encouraging them to seek support, to get the help they deserve. Going it alone doesn’t help, and nor should it be the default thinking of people who need help. On mental health, collective responsibility is required, both to end the stigma surrounding the topic and to give people the confidence to seek help. It’s on us, we think, to do better, not to leave the responsibility solely to some other person, charity or organisation.
And speaking of charities now would be a good time to introduce Shout, our charity partner on the campaign. With an army of volunteers across the country, their work focuses on supporting people through a free 24/7 text support service. Working on a mental health campaign means having a plan to help people afterwards – and with their support on the project, we’re able to do just that. Talking about how you feel isn’t a weakness or something to be ashamed about – and with Shout, we all have a reliable source to seek help from.
After chatting through the idea of the campaign, I dig a little deeper about the need to focus on men’s mental health – and in particular, the founding principles of Yogeez. “Geezer is just anyone”, Price says, with a supportive nod from Gold and the ever philosophical Cezzane. “It’s like the Spice Girls”, Cezzane adds, “you have sporty spice, you have fashion spice, you get posh, etc.”
And whilst the men on the set didn’t belong to the spice girls, that description certainly makes sense. We’re all different, you see, and that difference is something to be proud of. That diversity of people is important – and it’s something the mental health space needs to do better at. Including a range of voices is essential in getting all men to open up about their mental health. By including men of different backgrounds – and in particular, young Black men – No Man’s an Island does that. Was that intentional? Yes. As young Black men themselves, Cezzane and Eddie Cousins, the co-director and producer for the campaign, were aware of the importance of representation. Hearing their stories and perspectives, Cousins said, is crucially important. For all the strides we’ve made, the conversation on mental health lacks credible diversity. To change that, Cezzane noted, we’ve got to include different voices, voices who are just as vulnerable – if not more vulnerable – to the negative impacts of mental health.
In the age of social media, communicating with a younger generation in the way they consume content is crucial. To that end, using the power of video and social media was vital for the campaign’s success. The film itself illustrates the importance of conversation. From football to finances, work to relationships, 10 men speak about their everyday experiences, using their own stories to connect with each other. “It was about thinking of what I would want to see and want to engage with”, Price said, describing the way the film was shot – and the topics and issues discussed.
The power of conversation, they all agreed, is central to the campaign. Men talking about their mental health and feelings isn’t just good – it’s critical to everything their financial, social and personal success: “This campaign is about raising awareness of the importance of men talking with each other and the powerful effect that has”, Gold explained, using examples from his own experiences.
Men and geezers are interchangeable, as Gold and Price are keen to note, making a point of highlighting the campaign’s goal of redefining what a man is supposed to be. The film itself demonstrates the work that needs to be done to change attitudes, to redefine what makes us strong and what doesn’t. “What do you think are the three most common things men worry about?”, participants are asked. “It was a way to break the ice”, Cousins notes, something to get the participants – who were strangers – warmed up. The answers were as predictable as they were worrying. Money, finances and the ability to provide were the most frequently mentioned answers with possessions – from cars to houses – coming in second.
The pressure on men – placed on them both by society and themselves – to achieve a certain wealth status is as old as the hills. What is more poignant, perhaps, was that pressure being felt by nearly all the participants, regardless of their age, background, race, sexuality or career. “I dare do all that may become a man”, Shakespeare’s Macbeth states, “Who dares do more, is none.” What Macbeth meant – and what we should all strive for – is satisfaction in doing our best, in measuring up to our own definitions of success.
What No Man’s An Island achieves is a refreshing and honest look at the issue of mental health. It makes no attempt to give audiences medical or psychological advice – that job is left in the much more capable hands of Shout. By connecting 10 strangers with each other, Cousins and Price have produced something of real value, a campaign worth paying attention to.
Fine, we want to redefine what it means to be a man – and yes, we want more men opening about their feelings. But what is the specific objective of No Man’s An Island, I asked, what’s the big goal? With little hesitation, Price chimes in: “to show that no man really is an island”. he says.
In an hour, that goal was met. 10 strangers quickly become acquainted with each other, with the power of conversations bringing them closer together. In 1624, John Donne penned his famous ‘No Man’s An Island’ poem, a warning to all that there really is strength in unity – and demise in individuality.
“No Man’s An Island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main”
John Donne
And whilst Donne may not have been specifically talking about mental health, his words remind us of the need to help and encourage each other. None of us, you see, are immune to the struggles of mental health. It is as much my problem as it is yours. Encouraging each other to open up, then, isn’t something to dread or fear, but a critical step to be taken, a useful and positive way to help more people – and ultimately, save more lives.
Until we realise, as Price points out, that no man is an island, that we don’t exist in isolated vacuums, that the responsibility to do more to encourage others to open up about mental health is an individual and collective responsibility, we’ll lose more and more men to the crisis of mental health.
Or, as Donne put it, “any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Here’s the link to the full campaign – and whilst you’re at it, share it, will ya, please?