Five easy tips on how to look after your mental health — Good mental health is wealth, to be more precise. But the opposite is true as well — poor mental health, especially at work, is denting employers’ resources and is detrimental to many of us. The latest evidence shows that mental ill-health costs UK employers ca. £56bn annually, with 17 million…

Emotional vulnerability does not equate to softness. — In this post, I am returning to an idea explored in a previous post on mentoring from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. But this time, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about male vulnerability from Homer’s beautiful 8th century BC epopee. Here’s a refresher of some relevant bits of the story: Menelaus…

Mental health problems can affect every aspect of our lives and can be experienced by anyone at any point in their life. — Let’s say your girlfriend has an accident, she breaks her hand while playing football. She calls you and you meet her at the A&E at your nearest hospital. You might have to wait for a little (or a few hours), but she’s seen and gets her hand put in plaster…

A joint article with Becca Benning, Functional Health Coach & Nutrition Counsellor. — More than ever, mental health is present in our vernacular, social media feeds and conversations. However, much of it is focused on jasmine tea, bubble baths, and breathe in and … breathe out. That’s all good, but I’m slightly flippant about it, so I can point toward an underrated topic…

At the moment, masculinity is a work in progress. — We’ve heard this and accepted that certain aspects of manhood are given. But I find the “boys will be boys” ethos problematic for several reasons. The concept is stagnant and doesn’t introduce any growth. To me, the way one starts out (as a boy) will continue throughout life, with the…

The power of community in children’s upbringing. — If you have been following MAN’s blogs for a while (and I hope you have!), you will remember that I’ve been referencing Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey recently. This is the third and last post completing the trilogy referencing Homer’s work. …

We are more than a week into the New Year, and most of us will have made a few New Year resolutions, objectives, goals or whatever label you prefer to use. According to YouGov nearly 1 in 5 (19%) Brits own up and say they did not keep any of…

My guest blog is Dr. Andrew Parnham covering the topic of wellbeing. What does the word “wellbeing” bring to mind? You might think immediately of such things as aromatherapy, massages, spas, special diets or even off-centre, touchy-feely techniques to “bring body and mind together.” …

Nowhere special was rather special. — The other day a friend recommended we should see ‘Nowhere Special’, a Northern Irish, Romanian and Italian co-production inspired by true events. Three things around the issue of masculinity stood out for me from this beautiful movie. For those who have not seen it, here is what the movie is…