Men’s Mental Health Month: Improve Your Mental Health

Men’s Mental Health Month is an opportunity to open up the conversation about men’s mental health and raise awareness about the unique challenges men face.

In the previous article, I explored how, despite some progress, stigma and traditional masculine norms are still impacting men’s mental health today.

So how can men look after their mental health despite these ongoing pressures?

While redefining masculinity and creating space for men to express themselves is a broader cultural and societal responsibility, there are many personal, everyday steps men can take to look after their wellbeing.

So, in honor of Men’s Mental Health Month, this post focuses on how men can build their resilience and connection and improve their mental health.

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What Is Positive Mental Health?

Men’s Mental Health Month is an ideal time for us to change the narrative about men’s mental health and break down the barriers that get in the way of men thriving. But what does positive mental health actually mean?

Mental health is not categorical (good or bad)

Mental health is bidimensional, meaning it comprises both problems and suffering as well as psychological strengths, such as resilience, wellbeing, and meaning.

You don’t always have to feel happy

It’s normal to experience emotions such as sadness, anger, frustration, fear, and grief. They don’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Mental health is not only the absence of mental illness

Mental health is “a state of wellbeing in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (World Health Organization, 2004, p. 1).

Positive mental health is the presence of wellbeing

Positive emotions and relationships, meaning and purpose in life, a sense of accomplishment and personal growth, and resilience in the face of challenges and stress are all important for good mental health (Seligman, 2011).

Strengths-Based Practices for Men’s Mental Health Month

As we mark Men’s Mental Health Month, it’s important to highlight the challenges men face and offer strategies for healing.

Strengths-based practices can build positive mental health and resilience (Flückiger et al., 2023) by identifying, activating, and building on existing strengths, resources, and capacities.

Strengths assessment

• Reflect on your strengths. What are you good at? What skills do you have? What have you been successful at in the past? What comes easily or naturally to you?
• Ask others what they see as your strengths. Are there any themes? What resonates with you?
• Strengths can also include your relationships, culture, and community.

Reframe seeking help as courageous, not weak

In some traditions, masculine norms require men to be self-reliant and view seeking help as weak or a sign of failure. But expressing your feelings and asking for support are the opposite of weakness. It takes great strength to be vulnerable and face your challenges head on. Opening up to others can help strengthen relationships and make you feel more connected and mentally healthy.

Leverage masculine strengths

You don’t have to trade in your strength, drive, or self-reliance to work on your mental health. Rather, those qualities can be powerful tools.

• Take action
  Taking care of your mental health isn’t only about talking; it’s about taking action. That could mean learning tools to manage stress or making changes to your daily life.
• Set goals
  It’s not about “fixing” yourself, but instead being clear about who you want to be and taking steps toward that goal. When you align your actions with your values, you have a clear direction and more motivation.
• Be of service
  When you’re taking care of your mental health, you’re also taking care of your loved ones. Your wellbeing makes a difference in other people’s lives.

Connect with meaning and purpose

Many men don’t seek support until they reach a breaking point. Reflecting on your values, direction, and purpose can help prevent things from getting to that point.

Having a strong sense of purpose can protect against depression, anxiety, and suicidal feelings (Bilsker et al., 2018), so consider asking yourself, “What really matters to me? Am I really living the life I want?”

Purpose doesn’t have to be a grand mission. It can be about showing up as a father, friend, or partner, contributing to your local community, or mentoring.

Building Connection and Community

Men’s Mental Health Month is a time to reflect on how to tackle one of the biggest burdens on men’s mental health: loneliness.

As discussed in our previous post, many men experience loneliness, partly because masculine norms can make it challenging to build and maintain close connections.

Connection is one of the main pillars of positive mental health. But feeling more connected doesn’t always have to involve talking about feelings.

For many men it’s built through doing. Shared activities and being of service can give you a sense of accomplishment and connection. They can also invite natural conversations to happen, as one man shared in a study by Sharp et al. (2022, p. 10):

“Maybe men aren’t as good at getting help as they should be, but blokes really like giving help, offering help, being useful. So, you train people to look after their mates rather than train them to look out for themselves, but in the process they learn how to look out for themselves.”

Activities that draw men together and allow conversations to flow more naturally could include sports, hobbies such as gardening, woodworking, and car mechanics, or other interests such as mountain biking or surfing.

Daily Habits to Support Men’s Mental Health

Mental health is unique to everyone. What works for one person might not work for another. But one thing that’s true for most people is that looking after your mental health is a daily practice.

So, this men’s mental health awareness month, find what works for you.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Identify your emotions
  Whether you’re feeling good or something feels off, try to name that emotion. This way, you can learn about your different emotions and what they feel like. Naming your emotions can also reduce their power over you because you know what you’re dealing with.
• Talk about your emotions
  You don’t need to have the perfect words to express what you’re feeling. Find someone you might feel comfortable talking to, or maybe it feels easier to write about your feelings in a journal before opening up to people.
• Join a group
  It doesn’t need to be a mental health-related group, but joining a men’s group, community class, or hobby group can help you feel more connected.
• Limit numbing habits
  Escaping stress with alcohol, overworking, scrolling, binge watching, or sex disconnects you from what’s really going on. Instead, try habits that give you energy or ground you, like going for a walk, exercising, or spending quality time with friends.
• Practice self-care
  Self-care is any deliberate action that makes you feel good, like exercising regularly, getting enough high-quality sleep, connecting with nature, learning a new skill, or anything else you find enjoyable
• Get professional support before it’s a crisis
  You don’t need to wait until you’re in crisis to talk to someone. Therapy, coaching, and support groups can also be preventive and help you feel clearer, build tools, and grow.

A Take-Home Message

This Men’s Mental Health Month, turn your focus inward and reflect on what it means to you to be a man. What if you let go of what society, social media, and outdated ideals dictate? Who are you, and how do you want to live your life?

True strength means self-awareness, vulnerability, and the courage to speak openly about your experiences. When you let others see you authentically, it allows others to do the same, and you build meaningful connections.

Find what works for you. There’s no need to do it perfectly; just take one step at a time. And remember, your wellbeing matters not only for you, but also to the people who care about you.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our five positive psychology tools for free.