By The Men’s Mental Health Month serves as a significant reminder to give equal priority to mental wellness as physical wellness. The month of June marks the time for networks focused on men’s health to promote understanding, awareness and resources for men, boys and others who care for them.
This is important to emphasize since many men hold off on requesting help regardless of how their stress is beginning to manifest through changes in sleep patterns, mood, energy or daily behaviours.
The message is very clear: men’s mental health cannot be improved by motivation alone. It will require structure through consistent repetition of habits that contribute to lower stress levels, create stability and make it easier for men to ask for help when things become overwhelming.
Fortunately, most of the ‘actions’ that have the greatest impact are based on natural things that can be integrated into daily living, making them easy to implement today as a way of building momentum for continued improvement in the future.
1) Recognize the early signs of mental health issues instead of pushing through the symptoms.
Men tend to try their best even when they have some type of headache or other head issue; however, mental health issues do not show up immediately or initially very seriously and then worsen. Initially, a mental health issue could show up as feeling frustrated with yourself or the people around you, losing energy and motivation, having trouble concentrating, losing interest in things, worrying about different situations, and having problems with your stomach and/or headache.
Men are less likely to seek treatment for mental health problems and, therefore, early identification of mental health problems will be more effective in getting them proper treatment for their problems.
A helpful change in thinking about mental health issues during the month of men’s mental health is to recognize that a bad week isn’t a personal failure or a loss of control, but allowing patterns of bad days to continue over several months will gradually make things worse. Recognizing early signs will give control back to the person experiencing the changes. Changes in sleep, mood, fear, and/or the ability to concentrate are not signs of weakness; they simply provide useful data.
2) Get active on a daily basis. You can be physically active every day but not have a full workout.
Physical activity is a great way to help improve your mood and overall mental fitness. The CDC recommends that regular physical activity can help decrease your level of anxiety, improve your sleep, and enhance your brain health.
Physical activity does not have to occur at a high intensity, because low-intensity, moderate-intensity and even low levels of physical activity all provide some type of benefit to your mental wellness. If done on a regular basis, things including brisk walking, light weight lifting, cycling, swimming, and a 20-minute workout at home all can help improve your mood and mental wellness.
For men in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, lack of knowledge is often less of a barrier to getting physical activity than lack of time. If you can find smaller and/or more realistic ways to get moving (like taking a walk after eating lunch, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and doing a quick session before work), you will have more opportunities to be consistent vs. doing an elaborate physical activity plan that you might miss doing due to not having enough time. Consistency will have a larger effect on your mental health than intensity when it comes to bettering your health via physical activity.
3) Value Your Sleep – It’s Important
Sleep is more than rest; it is an integral part of the body systems that govern brain function, emotional state, physical health, etc. According to NHLBI, sleep is fundamental to being well and will contribute to protecting mental health if you get enough high-quality sleep.
Poor sleep causes emotional/mental distress, and these two elements create a vicious cycle so that when you sleep poorly, then you feel like there is more stress on you than when you sleep well.
Like developing a healthy everyday routine, a good sleep routine does not need to be overly complex. Create a consistent bedtime through the week on all days during the day; turn down the brightness and use minimal artificial light before bedtime; avoid eating heavy during the evening; and cool your bedroom if possible to promote better sleep.
NIMH – Social Media and Online Coping Features publishes similar information that is easy to implement into your coping strategies for daily life. Additionally, the more structure you create for your food, exercise, and sleep will help create your foundation to cope with challenges you may experience as a result of workplace pressure or home life.
4) It’s important to stay connected instead of cutting yourself off when you feel overwhelmed and stressed
Being connected to other people is one of the most important things you can do for your mental health. According to CDC research, social connections give us a sense of belonging, help us feel better physically, and support us when we go through challenging life transitions.
Supportive relationships are also associated with making healthier choices. This could be especially important if someone has experienced a loss of energy or loss of confidence.
For many men, connecting to others works best when it is comfortable, rather than when it is forced. Connecting can be as simple as reaching out to a brother by phone or text, joining up with a friend to participate in recreational sports, talking on the phone while you are walking, or telling your significant other that you want to talk, without worrying about being articulate. A deep and meaningful conversation is not required to connect to someone; a simple, honest conversation with someone whom you trust and feel safe with is sufficient.
5) Reducing alcohol consumption when you use alcohol to dull your feelings of stress
Drinking alcohol is one of the quickest ways to help you feel less stressed for a short amount of time, but over the long term, drinking will only make your mental health worse. According to the NIMH, you should not self-medicate with drugs or alcohol if you are struggling with a stressful or traumatic experience, because just avoiding the stressor or trauma does not eliminate the source of the stress or trauma. A good question to ask yourself during men’s mental health month is, “Do I drink to celebrate or to escape?”
It is not necessary to stop drinking completely to make a difference. By simply having alcohol-free days during the week, drinking a glass of water between each drink you have, or substituting the first alcoholic beverage of the evening with something else that allows you to unwind, you can make a difference. Many men have discovered that by reducing their drinking even a few days a week has resulted in improved sleep, mood, and energy levels the next morning, sooner than they ever expected.
6) Create a daily schedule with achievable objectives
A well-structured schedule does not mean boredom; it is a safety net. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), setting small realities, targeting achievable results, and establishing routine behaviours for meals, exercise, and sleep can provide safety. Structure helps reduce decision-making fatigue when life is unpredictable, decreasing the feeling of having mental clutter.
Men are challenged by the pressures of work, family responsibilities, and finances. It can often feel overwhelming, and many people try to solve everything at once. By concentrating on a few stable behaviours (three daily anchors), such as waking up at a set time, doing 20 minutes of physical activity, and finding time for at least one genuine connection with someone else, you will develop momentum. Momentum is usually what mental health requires.
7) Prior to reaching overload from stress, utilise calming strategies
Mindfulness and deep breathing, as well as other stress management techniques, are not just “trends.” NIMH and the Centre for Disease Control support the use of physical activity, mindfulness, meditation, and calming techniques in order to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety. Even using a few minutes of focused breathing can help break the cycle if your mind is feeling overloaded.
A practical approach will deliver the most results; use a combination of a five-minute deep breathing activity, a short walk without music, or a short writing activity at night before going to sleep. These tools do not remove all of the stressors from life; however, they allow you to reduce the overall pressure and respond in a logical manner versus reacting to everyday chaos.
Ways to Establish these Habits as Part of Your Life
One of the most effective ways to enhance your mental well-being as a man naturally is by beginning to view any of your new habits as a major task rather than an entire project. You could also consider attaching your new habit to something you are currently doing every day and making your goal small enough that you can easily accomplish it on even your worst days.
You could set a goal of taking a short walk after your lunch break, calling at least one friend to check on how they are doing each Friday, or stopping your social media use at least 30 minutes before going to bed.
It is also important for you to look for signs that you need assistance, rather than simply relying on yourself to build more “willpower”, such as: feeling sad most of the time; feeling like you have no hope; your sleep continues getting worse; your alcohol consumption is increasing or your engaging in risky behaviours.
If any of these signs are present in your life, you should consider contacting either your regular doctor or a therapist to discuss your situation. In addition, NIMH states that seeking treatment can be beneficial in a number of ways; for instance, if you live in the United States and are seeking help, SAMHSA has created a website called FindTreatment.gov to help you find treatment services, and if you are experiencing a crisis, you may contact 988 for support.