Yeah, Man is here, man, if you ever need to talk

As feelings of isolation and disconnection rose during COVID lockdowns, Ben McDonald-Watson began to think. “If I’m feeling like this, I’m sure there are other blokes feeling the same way,” Ben says. “It dawned on me that apart from sporting groups and the pub, guys don’t have avenues like women do to connect and express themselves.”

Thinking about this gave Ben an idea. “I’d researched the benefits of connection and belonging in the pursuit of high performance in a corporate environment. I was comfortable having conversations around connection and belonging and how it relates to mental and physical well-being. So I started thinking maybe I should get a bunch of blokes together and try to have a conversation.”

Ben tested his idea with a couple of small gatherings of men. The overwhelmingly positive feedback confirmed he was on the right track. The Tootgarook resident and father of three was committed to connecting other men in his community and now had a fair idea of how, but first he sought some professional guidance from Australian organisation Tomorrow Man. Tomorrow Man has worked with more than 100,000 men and boys in the past six years in workshops that train men how to have better conversations, help themselves and their mates through tough times, and redefine a healthier version of masculinity. After sitting with facilitators from Tomorrow Man and developing a series of sessions on different topics to explore, Ben’s idea came to life as Yeah, Man.

The whole premise of Yeah, Man is for men to have a space to explore what’s made them who they are and to be able to tell their story. “We’re really constrained as blokes with our language, our ability to express ourselves and accurately label our emotions and feelings. We’re not great listeners either, so providing guys with some practical skills to be able to be better listeners is important too. If you know who you are, you know how to tell your story, and you’ve got someone who can listen to you, then you’ve just created meaningful human connection. And meaningful human connection is the antidote to so many challenges in life.”

The first two Yeah, Man sessions were held last October and November. “It’s really relaxed, an opportunity to be supported to share your story and chat to like-minded guys.” The main gatherings will be held every six weeks and the venue will rotate. Other opportunities to meet up between the main gatherings will be made too, such as the first community collaboration with Louey's Place in Rye where a blokes-only Pilates class was held in December.

Thanks to sponsorship from Peninsula Hot Springs, Searoad Ferries, and Peninsula Sotheby’s Real Estate, the facilitated gatherings are free to attend for men young and old. The next session will be held at Peninsula Hot Springs on Wednesday, February 1; RSVP at www.yeahman.au

If you own a business or have a community group and would like to talk about ways to help Yeah, Man become a permanent part of the Mornington Peninsula community, get in touch with Ben at www.yeahman.au or his Instagram page @yeahman_mp; for more about Tomorrow Man, go to www.tomorrowman.com.au