The “Men’s Health in America Survey” is out from Men’s Health magazine – covering a representative sample of 1,512 men throughout the country – and it’s not a pretty picture…
There is a lot of anxiety – a lot of depression – and tons of stress and uncertainty.
Here is a video where I talk about these results = https://youtu.be/T-G2jPPOszA
My highlights are below – and you can read the entire article at = https://www.menshealth.com/health/a45324315/state-of-mental-health-men-survey/#
59% of men say they’ve been anxious for at least several days in the past two weeks – and 50% are most anxious about money and work.
BIGGEST ANXIETY: MONEY (across ALL income levels)
54% have felt depressed for at least several days in the past two weeks.
-Men don’t generally use the word “depressed” – but rather say…
-Feeling “off”
-Tired
-Angry/Pissed
-Overwhelmed
-Busy/Stressed
-Depression symptoms might not have anything to do with feeling “sad” – but they might feel…
-IRRITABILITY
-LOSS OF APPETITE OR OVEREATING
-LOSS OF INTEREST IN HOBBIES
-ISOLATING YOURSELF FROM OTHERS
-DECREASED INTEREST IN SEX
LUCKILY…
Ninety-five percent of men surveyed say that mental health is just as important as—if not more important than—physical health. The older the guys, the more likely they are to make mental health a priority.
THIRTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF MEN FEEL HAPPY EVERY DAY – WHAT ARE THEY DOING???
–TAKE CARE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH 83%
–SAY THEY HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE 79%
–SAY SLEEP IS THEIR NUMBER-ONE MENTAL-HEALTH HABIT 68%
-only 43% of the overall group got enough sleep (~8h)
–SAY THEY’RE GOOD OR VERY GOOD AT EXPRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS 68%
-50% of men ages 60 and up have never talked about their feelings with other men.
-25% of guys ages 30 to 39 say the same.
–SAY EXERCISE SERVES A PURPOSE SIMILAR TO THERAPY FOR THEM 61%
-SPEND TWO HOURS OR LESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY 61%
IN GENERAL – WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING – OR WHY NOT???
-DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START 37%
-DON’T HAVE THE MONEY 36%
-TAKE SUPPLEMENTS 33%
-DON’T HAVE TIME 23%
What do I recommend for men who are feeling “tired, stressed, and depressed”? I suggest that they follow the SENSE program that I’ve been writing about and advocating for over the last 20+ years.
SENSE stands for…
–Supplements (to support stress resilience across the Gut-Heart-Brain-Axis)
-one of my favorites is “Ignite for Him” from Amare Global – for its combination of Cordyceps, Rhodiola, Tongkat Ali, and Beetroot that helps maintain youthful testosterone levels and improve both mental wellness and physical performance.
–Exercise (to short-circuit cortisol and other stress signals)
–Nutrition (to nourish the microbiome and enhance production of feel-good neurotransmitters)
-one of my favorites is to eat more Fermented Foods – which I talk about in this video
–Sleep (to rejuvenate the brain with REM and repair the body with Deep sleep) – and don’t use melatonin
–Evaluation (to remind us to listen to our body/mind signals and connect with others)
