Just when you thought you’ve made it through the toughest day – you fell into a wall of stress, feeling like it is slowly crushing you from all sides. As men, we all experience stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. But, when it comes to mental wellness, far too often we forget to give ourselves the attention and care that we need. It’s time to break away from the traditional “manly” culture of not expressing feeling, and instead face mental wellness head-on. So, let’s take a look at how we can manage stress, build resilience, and improve our mental wellness.
1. Achieving Mental Wellness for Men
Mental wellness is a critical part of overall health and yet something that men often overlook in their daily lives. The good news is, there are steps you can take to achieve better mental wellbeing.
Creating Healthy Habits: Taking the time to focus on yourself with healthy habits is an important step you can take to having better mental wellbeing. Healthy habits can include activities like:
- Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night
- Going on regular walks or finding other forms of physical activity
- Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Mindfulness: Taking the time to become aware of your environment and feelings and using meditation to refocus your mind is a great way to achieve mental wellness. Being mindful can help you live in the present moment and have greater clarity of thought when managing life’s challenges.
Engage in Activities: Being an active participant in hobbies, activities, and interests you are passionate about can help you relax and enjoy being in the present moment. Whether it’s engaging in physical activities, exploring a new hobby or doing something with friends, engaging in activities can help you reach a place of greater mental wellness.
2. Methods for Reducing Stress and Building Resilience
Relaxation Techniques
Take some time out of every day to relax. Incorporate relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, focused breathing, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation into your daily routine. Use these techniques to reduce stress levels and create a sense of calm.
Physical Activity
Physical exercise is an especially important part of stress management. In addition to reducing stress, exercise releases endorphins which can improve your overall mood. Any form of physical activity is a great way to get your mind off of whatever stresses you out, and to contribute to improved mental resilience.
Journaling
Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a journal is a great way to reduce stress. Journaling can help to express yourself and explore your emotions without needing to put them into words. This can be an invaluable tool in helping to build resilience, and to better understand your own experiences.
Connecting with Others
Spend quality time with loved ones and connect with your friends and family. These connections can provide valuable social support which can help to cushion the effects of adversity and can increase your mental resilience.
3. Identifying Stressors to Manage Mental Wellbeing
When it comes to mental wellbeing, knowing how to identify the stressors that may challenge us is an important part of the journey. Here are 3 key considerations to help us identify what stresses us out:
- Routine: our daily habits and activities are part of our overall routine. Without a regular structure to our days, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with our responsibilities, resulting in stress.
- Environment: our environment plays a significant role in our mental wellbeing. If our physical or social environment has become changed or stressful in any way, then it can have an adverse effect on us.
- Mindset: our own mindset can also be a contributing factor to experiencing stress. When our thoughts become polarized, obsessive, or one-sided, it can create a sense of inner unrest.
Being aware of the above stressors is an important step to managing our mental wellbeing. By observing our responses to the triggers mentioned, we can help ourselves create a sense of harmony and inner balance.
One of the best ways to manage stress is to practice mindfulness. This can involve reflection, awareness and the implementation of calming activities such as meditation and yoga. When mindful, we can take a step back and observe our thoughts, helping us to manage our stress levels.
4. Practicing Healthy Habits for Greater Self-Care
Creating greater self-care is a great way to improve all aspects of life. Practicing healthy habits can lead to an overall increase in feelings of wellbeing. Here are a few suggestions for how to practice self-care using healthy habits:
- Set manageable goals. Starting with a few obtainable goals is one of the best ways to form new habits. Set small goals that are achievable this week, and build on top of those each week.
- Prioritize self-care.Sometimes it can be hard to actually make time for yourself, but prioritizing self-care is essential for any health routine. Make it a priority to do something like taking a walk, have a nice soak, or simply just mediate.
- Set a healthy sleep schedule. Sleep is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, and it can affect everything from physical health to mental health. Try to get into a routine and set a consistent bedtime and wake-time.
- Eat a balanced diet. Eating a balanced diet is an essential part of any healthy lifestyle. Incorporating a variety of nutritious foods will help you to stay energized, maintain a healthy weight, and improve overall wellbeing.
These are just a few tips for creating healthy habits and practicing greater self-care. With time, dedication, and consistency, healthy habits can become a healthy routine that can help you stay feeling your best.
Don’t forget, self-care starts with you. Take the time to explore different ways to practice self-care, and make sure to enjoy the process!
5. Empowering Yourself with Mental Wellness Practices
Live Mindfully
By living mindfully, you can take the time to clarity feelings, think positively, and recognize your boundaries. Incorporate mindfulness strategies to focus your breath, recognize your thoughts and feelings, and be conscious of what your body needs. Mindful living is also about letting go of what your control and not getting stuck in negative thought patterns.
Practice Gratitude
A great way to feel more empowered, inspired and positive is to think of what you are grateful for. Being mindful of what you already have in your life will give you a sense of contentment. Writing in a gratitude journal is one way of starting the practice. Make sure to list little things to start with, like a hot cup of coffee or appreciating your home.
Find What Nourishes You
It is important to recognize what nurtures your mind, body, and soul. From physical activities like swimming or a walk in the park, to spiritual activities like meditation, yoga and journaling. Find a creative hobby that can bring joy to your heart and add some zest to your life.
Connect with Others
Having a strong support group is key for your mental wellness. Connecting with friends who are positive and motivational will give you the confidence and courage to be empowered. Remember, the amount of time spent with others can also be just as important as the quality. So make it a point to schedule those lunch dates or coffee conversations.
As mental wellness is necessary for both physical and emotional health, it’s important for men to create strategies to effectively manage stress and build resilience. With the tips outlined in this article, men can start their journey down the path of mental well-being and reach greater heights of clarity and productivity. With the right coping techniques, men can substantially improve many aspects of their lives.
