At WishGarden, we continue our focus on International Men’s Day, which was celebrated on November 19e. This is our second blog in a three-part series focused on men’s health. The first message emphasized the importance of diet and nutrition and the need to encourage men to improve and optimize the physical aspect of their lives to be healthy.
In this blog we shift our focus to emotional well-being. As mentioned in the previous post, many men often avoid focusing on and working on optimizing their health. This is especially true when it comes to emotional health.
Historically, men have primarily held positions of power, be it in the political arena, or as the ‘bread winners’ who took home a paycheck for working long hours to support their families, in athletics and sports, and long before them too. the hunters and warriors. All of these activities shaped the male ego and contributed to traits that emphasized domination, superiority, strength, endurance, courage, rational and analytical thinking, and more. While some of these traits can be displayed by men in obvious ways, others can appear under the radar in different situations.
Furthermore, men often go out of their way not to show signs or behaviors that make them appear less ‘masculine’. Anything that shows signs of weakness hurts or damages their male ego and internally, consciously or unconsciously, makes them feel less of a man. This includes showing emotions (in addition to anger or reactivity), crying, lacking strength or endurance, appearing hurt (even if actually hurt or injured), admitting illness, and admitting failure. It is clear that a major role in the male ego plays the perception, and therefore the judgment, by other men and women in society.
But because men have traditionally held power roles – hunting, fighting, working, providing, etc. – they have also taken on more responsibilities and stressors for the mind and body. To avoid signs of weakness, such as admitting to illness or appearing ill, focusing on or making an effort for their own health and well-being, admitting to and dealing with emotional challenges, and/or having opportunities or activities for stress relief, will only drive this behavior further. the stress they experience.
All of these stressors – physical, mental, emotional – cause further damage to the body and cellular functioning, which in turn causes further stress, becoming a viscous cycle. As time passes, the signs of aging begin to manifest and diseases or ailments begin to manifest or accelerate.
As we noted in our first post, obesity is one of many health problems and causes of death in men. It is easy to understand that a lack of healthy experiences and expression of emotions can contribute to and worsen these conditions, among many other health problems.
We need to encourage men to put health first and educate men about the negative consequences of not dealing with and expressing their emotions, and that it is not a sign of weakness to experience and express emotions. It is paramount that men are open and communicate about their emotions or health concerns so that they can live a long, healthy life. If they do not feel comfortable talking to their loved ones or friends about these concerns, it is highly recommended that you encourage them to seek out mental health professionals who can engage them in healthy dialogue and understanding in a safe environment.
Teaching men to find activities or therapies that help relieve stress will also be helpful in this process. Spending time in nature, exposure to the sun, developing a meditation or yoga practice (or taking classes to learn more about it), finding a new creative hobby, spending time with friends and family, journaling, listening to music, getting a massage or acupuncture, and participating in sports or other activities or exercise can all provide stress relief.
Although the dominance of the male ego and male bravado has decreased to some extent in recent years, it is still very strong and we need to help men understand that they do not always have to be strong and that they should let their to leave’. guard” can be beneficial to their long-term health.
In the next and final installment of this men’s health series, we will focus on physical health and how we can encourage men to increase their daily activity to support their health.
Dr. Shawn Manske attended the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, one of seven accredited four-year, postgraduate naturopathic medical schools in North America, and received his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine. He practiced as an ND in Ontario, Canada, for five years before moving to Colorado. He is currently a Territory Accounts Manager and Senior Educator at WishGarden Herbs.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
Read more