Four tips to effectively help men smash the stigma, seek help, and build a personal mental health action plan.
Trip Starkey
Vice President of Partnerships, Man Therapy
It is no secret that, every now and then, a man needs a good kick in the pants to get the gears going and do what’s best for himself. This is true especially when it comes to something difficult, like asking for help with mental health.
Whether it is due to perceived weakness, societal norms, or simply being afraid to take the first step, many of us find countless reasons to avoid addressing problems and continue leading lives of quiet desperation, to quote Henry David Thoreau. It is tough work trying to undo thousands of years of societal norms that teach men to be strong, have a stiff upper lip, and disregard their emotions. However, doing this work is imperative to ensure we have the necessary strategies to effectively support ourselves.
When it comes to breaking through the stigma surrounding mental health and finding encouragement to seek help, here are a few strategies you can employ to make sure your plan gets off on the right foot.
Get the lay of the land
Before you begin any journey, it is always helpful to have a map to ensure you’re on the right path. A great starting point to get a handle on your personal mental health landscape can come through taking a quick, free, and anonymous mental health assessment, like Man Therapy’s 18-Point Head Inspection.
These assessments are key to getting crucial intel around mental health topics like depression, anger, grief, substance use, and more. This will help you better understand how mental health is impacting your daily life and encourage you to take action.
Identify your arsenal of self-help strategies
Just like playing darts, it’s always easiest to hit a bullseye if you can see it. Once you’ve taken a mental health assessment and better understand what areas you need to focus on, you can start to build your mental health toolkit.
These effective, easy-to-implement self-help strategies include things like physical exercise, mindfulness and meditation, journaling, nutrition, and much more, all of which can positively impact mental health. Resources like ManTherapy.org provide a wealth of information that can help you start wrestling that 800-pound gorilla off your back.
Build a support team
It is true, what the old bards said: No man is an island, and men don’t have to face tough times alone. Life, it turns out, is a team sport. So, when it comes to getting help with your mental health, start by building a team of trusted allies (think family, friends, colleagues), join a support group, explore peer support, or consider seeking professional guidance through free tools like Man Therapy’s Provider Network.
Craft your personal action plan
When you’re beginning to address mental health, it is helpful to create a personal plan of action to ensure you have accountability and realistic targets. Some examples of how to do this include: setting clear goals, choosing effective strategies to get help, identifying your support team, and scheduling regular check-ins with yourself or your peers to track progress.
Remember, seeking help doesn’t make you “soft.” It actually shows that you’re smart, strong, and determined. It takes courage to admit you can’t go it alone. If asking for help feels uncomfortable or unnatural, that is okay. Change is often uncomfortable. Rest assured that taking care of your mental health is indeed the manliest thing a man can do.
If you keep an open mind, stay mindful of what works and what doesn’t, and continually adapt your plan, you’ll likely find that addressing your mental health makes you sharper, more focused, and better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way. Go to ManTherapy.org to explore manly tips and tools to support your mental health. It’s therapy — the way a man does it.
