This week’s blog is all about the men in our lives. For the last year, I’ve focused on how to take care of ourselves, but men are just important as women. In many households they are the bread winner so keeping them healthy is important. Life can also be stressful for them so it’s important that they learn how to take care of themselves.
Not Just for Women
Men’s self-care isn’t much different than women’s - they love being pampered, they love feeling healthy, and they love relaxation. But a big problem is that they may not know how to ask for it. Because women have dominated the self-care space, the whole movement is wrongly stigmatized as a woman’s thing. But men know a thing or two about self-care, and nothing more manly than taking care of the mind and body.
Self-care shouldn’t be just a once-in-a-while thing. “Treating yourself” is a great idea, but if men want to maximize their wellness, there are a lot of activities that should be practiced daily.
A real key for men is taking time to relieve or prevent stress. Many times, this involves activities that stimulate the mind or body. Those activities can keep a man from being burned out from the regular routine of life, and recharge him for continued focus on family and work.
Mind the Mind
Keeping the mind sharp and fit is critical for a healthy life. Activities that help to relieve mental stress include meditation, nature walks, and positive affirmations. These are great ways to practice self-care and it is not hard to get started with them. The hardest part is determining to set aside time, and then doing it.
Great advice for men: The next time you find yourself overwhelmed or in a bad mood, stand up, walk around and just breathe deeply. A man does not need to completely engross himself in an intense workout to feel better - going out for a short run or walk may be enough to clear the mind and get back on track. Or he can find a yoga video on YouTube and stretch out his body. The important thing is to just change the local environment and get moving around.
Take Care of That Body
Men need to care for their physical bodies as well. This can include daily routines like showering and shaving, but the concept goes beyond that. We are what we eat, so encourage your man to eat less processed foods and more natural foods. When we make good choices about what we put in our bodies, half the battle is already won.
A man also needs to maintain physical endurance and strength. As we age it becomes more challenging to keep these at top performance, but that’s not to say it can’t be done. Again, the harder part is setting aside time for exercise, and then doing it. Don’t fall for the trap of thinking you need to be as fit and trim as someone 20 or 30 years younger – just be the best you can be at the age you are.
Give your man the time and encouragement he needs to properly care for himself. It might look different than a woman’s self-care, but it is just as important. You’ve all heard the saying “Happy wife, happy life” but I’ll throw another one out there: “Happy man, happy clan!” Let’s do our best to keep our families healthy and strong.
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