Ways Men Can Look After Their Mental Health
Written by Menswear Style
in
Health & Fitness
on the
27th May 2025
Male mental health has increasingly drawn attention in recent years. Rightly so. 12.5% of men have a mental health condition (at least – these are those diagnosed, much of mental health remains “invisible”).
Men are more likely to abuse substances than women and are three times more likely to take their own lives. Three times more likely. That’s a scary statistic.
It’s useful to consider why that is and what men can do to look after their mental health.
Psychological wellbeing is so important in life and there are lots of ways you can take care of it.
How Mental Health Issues Commonly Present In Men
There’s a prevailing attitude in society which largely evolved in Victorian Britain that men “should” be the ones to work, provide, offer financial security, and have the final say on important decisions (in traditional heterosexual relationships). Other social conditioning suggests that to be masculine, men must be strong and stoic. They “shouldn’t” cry.
A human being, a person filled with emotion, not crying in the face of loss, for example, while also being expected to continue on as normal, is important to think about.
If a person filled with emotion suppresses it, what happens? What emotions ARE men “allowed” to show?
Social conditioning celebrates men who are strong, who fight in the public eye. It’s only natural then that suppressed emotions such as sadness comes out as anger, an emotion men are “allowed” to feel.
Talking about emotions is often associated with women, not “real men”. Is it no wonder that men are three times more likely to commit suicide when so many feel unable to express emotion?
Unhealthy Ways Men Deal with Problems
When problems arise or life feels overwhelming, people develop ways to cope. The human brain is brilliant at finding ways to help you feel better.
These are known as coping mechanisms and they can be healthy and unhealthy.
Unhealthy coping mechanisms include:
– Negative self-talk where people put themselves down or develop limiting beliefs and speech that can get them stuck and repeating unhealthy behaviours.
– Obsessive thoughts and behaviours. This is often linked to anxiety and trying to control the situation. It might sound like people repeating the same thing over and over like a broken record, or having catastrophizing thoughts of what might happen etc.
– Excessive exercise, video-gaming etc as a means of escapism and avoidance.
– Self-harming behaviours such as cutting oneself, instigating fights, eating disorders/food control, and substance use.
Substance abuse is quite a common go-to coping mechanism for men with mental health issues. Let’s look into it a little deeper…
Men and Substance Abuse
Around “610,000 people were frequent drug users in the year ending March 2024. Naturally, being easy and legal to access, alcohol consumption is much higher.
Alcohol and drugs have a psychoactive effect that can make people feel relaxed, calm, they can ease and numb pain, they’re escapist… in the short term.
These short-term effects are what draw people to using substances. When a man is stressed or struggling, then drugs and alcohol might become a quick fix. Or so he thinks.
Sadly, it’s common knowledge that substances cause addiction and with that a huge variety of physical, mental, emotional, financial, social and familial negative effects come with it.
In England, in 2023/24, “there were 280,747 [hospital] admissions where the primary diagnosis was an alcohol-related condition”. It’s really important for men to get help when problematic substance use is present. There are many treatment options available. A useful place to get advice is your local GP, local drug and alcohol services, or a private therapist.
Ways Men Can Look After Their Mental Health
There are lots of healthy ways you can look after your mental health. Whether you’re looking for something easy, fun, or something more deep-reaching to have a longer-term impact. You have options.
1. Develop Healthy Coping Mechanisms
There are four types of coping mechanisms; problem-focused, emotion-focused, meaning-focused, and social coping (support-seeking). You’ll get a variety of coping mechanisms through employing a variety of tools.
It’s useful to take a holistic approach to your mental health. This means you’ll cover different areas of health and how you feel. Try various coping ideas and see what works for you.
2. Professional Support
Accessing professional support gives the opportunity to address your mental health on a deep level. This might be through counselling, therapy, or drug and alcohol services or via a private rehab centre or clinic.
Doing the type of deep work through these professional services is game-changing for people with severe mental health issues. If you really want to heal, you can, it will just take time, effort, and willingness.
3. Physical Approach
Research shows how physical activity supports mental health and wellbeing. This can be any type of movement from a relaxed walk, to dancing, exercise or sport. As well as physical benefits, physical activity improves mood.
Taking care of your mental and physical health and fitness includes eating nutritious food. This supports you to get essential vitamins and minerals into your body. This is especially important if you’re been using substances because drugs and alcohol introduce toxins into the body. Vitamins and mineral help you detox and heal.
Vitamins and minerals are also instrumental in supporting mental health. A lack of B vitamins can lead to anxiety and depression. Getting in healthy food supports your mind.
4. Emotional Coping Mechanisms
Talk to someone. It might a friend, a family member, or you might join a local man’s group (i.e. a walking group or a local Man Shed etc.). Sharing, even if just a little, can really shift emotions and improve how you feel.
You can also follow helpful mental health pages on social media. Curating your newsfeed to give you helpful tips is hugely useful.
Another way to shift emotion is by listening to music. Try it, choose music that will help lift you. Find a volume that feels good and just be in that song for a little while.
5. Mental Coping Mechanisms
These tools are for the mind, you might use cognitive behavioural tools to help reshape and reframe how you think. It could be developing a mindfulness practice or trying meditation. Breathwork and cold water exposure has taken the world by storm recently. These are useful tools when under stress.
6. Self-care
At menswearstyle.com we know that looking good equates to feeling good and sometimes in life, it’s important to indulge ourselves. Perhaps all you need is to treat yourself to a new item from our new collection or maybe a hair restyle is the thing that’ll make you feel good.
Sometimes, a simple, fun pick-me-up like getting dressed up and going out offers just the boost you need!
Why’s Mental Health so Important?
At its worst, poor mental health introduces thoughts and feelings that you’re unworthy and life isn’t worth anything. It’s debilitating.
When you work on improving your mental health, it lifts your energy and helps you feel at-ease in yourself. Good mental health enables you to form deep and meaningful relationships. It supports you in feeling a part of society and can lift your physical health, too.
Prioritising looking after your mental health means you’ll experience a more fulfilled, satisfied, and purposeful life.
You ARE important, and your mental health is a significant part of that, so do your best to take care of it.
