Men’s Health Month 2019: Improving Your Wellness

Men’s Health Month is June, and now more than ever, it is time to take charge of your health. I am speaking about both your mental health and physical health. It is important to look at both components, the mind and body, as a whole and not separately. They contribute to your overall wellness.

In today’s fast-paced society, it is easy to fall into unhealthy patterns.

No time to eat? Stop by a fast-food joint.

No energy? Drink a high-sugar energy drink. In fact, drink a few.

Not enough time in the day? Sleep as little as you can.

Something bad happens? Blame somebody else.

For this men’s health month, I want you to know that it is not too late to live a healthy life. It is never too late to adopt healthy habits and to get rid of the unhealthy ones.

Overall Wellness

As a mental health advocate living with bipolar disorder, I find it absolutely imperative to live the healthiest lifestyle that I can manage. This allows me to successfully manage my bipolar disorder long-term, among other things.

I cannot overstate the importance of the mind-body connection. To function at your optimal level, your mind and body have to be healthy. This will increase your overall quality of life.

You will have:

• More energy
• A greater ability to handle stress
• Improved sleep hygiene
• More enjoyment out of life
• A healthier self-image

Wellness is a combination of various approaches that work together harmoniously to improve your health.

It is not just about swallowing a pill and forgetting about the issue.

A holistic approach looks at all areas of your life.

First, let us look at the numbers.

Physical Health

Physical health statistics for men:

• Men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year
• On average, men die six years earlier than women across the world
• 12.4% of men 18 years and over are in fair or poor health
• More than one-third of adults (34.9%) in the United States are obese

Mental Health

Today, people interchange the terms mental health and mental illness. They are completely different.

Everyone has mental health. It can be either healthy or unhealthy.

If you have poor mental health, you will be:

• More susceptible to illness
• Easily irritated
• Unable to manage stress
• Exhausted
• Achy with unexplained headaches and stomachaches

It is quite easy to adopt healthy habits. You just need to take action.

When it comes to mental health, there are some interesting findings I would like to share.

Many men do not seek mental health treatment simply because they feel they can deal with the issue on their own.

Men who adhere to more traditional masculine norms are more resistant to taking medication.

This particular stigma towards men increases the likelihood that we won’t seek treatment.

As I mentioned, mental illness is completely different compared to mental health.

Let’s take a closer look at mental illness.

Mental Illness

1 in 5 people lives with a mental illness.

As I mentioned, I live with bipolar disorder.

There is not only a stigma associated with mental illness but also a different kind of stigma regarding men who seek treatment for mental illness.

Seeking out treatment for my bipolar disorder, I felt this stigma two times over.

Statistics regarding bipolar disorder:

• The incidence of bipolar disorder is the same in both men and women
• Women experience rapid cycling three times as much as men
• Men are more likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder reduces the statistical lifespan of a person by 9.2 years
• Suicide is completed by one in five individuals with bipolar disorder
• Bipolar disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability

These numbers and statistics shocked me. I hope they do the same to you to spark action.

Ways to Improve Your Overall Wellness

When it comes to improving your health, you need to focus on the basics and make things as easy to follow as possible. No need to complicate things.

Here are some simple ways to improve your overall wellness:

1. Your Sleep Hygiene

Sleep is the time your body and mind recharge and repair. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body will slowly break down.

To combat this negative effect, get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. You may need more depending on your activity and lifestyle.

In addition to the minimum 8 hours of sleep each night, do your best to go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time each morning.

Following these two simple actions will improve your sleep hygiene.

2. Healthy Eating Choices

Notice how I don’t use the term diet.

You need to focus on making healthy choices.

For example, look at portion control. It is okay to take leftovers home from eating out. Better yet, don’t eat out but eat a nice home-cooked meal. Try not to overeat at a meal.

When looking at healthy eating choices, look at your options.

I am a big proponent of moderation. Do your best to eat lean cuts of protein and good sources of carbohydrates and fats.

You can make healthy eating choices starting at your next meal.

3. Physical Health

As I mentioned, physical health is one of the two components of overall wellness.

Exercise is the way you can improve your physical health.

Find something you enjoy doing. For example, I love lifting weights. You may like running, swimming, walking or yoga.

I maintain a workout journal to hold myself accountable.

Adopt a form of exercise you like doing and you will have a greater chance of sticking with it and following through.

4. Mental Health

Mental health is the other component of overall wellness.

You can better your mental health by meditating, reducing your anxiety, reading uplifting material, educating yourself, and speaking with a therapist.

5. Drink Plenty of Water

It amazes me the simplicity of drinking water yet it is so commonly overlooked.

Your body is made up of more than half of water. You need constant hydration for your body to function at an adequate level.

Drink water and stay hydrated. Don’t wait until you are thirsty.

Even if you are slightly dehydrated, you will feel sluggish, and tired, have a hard time focusing, and feel pretty cruddy.

Focus on the simple things and build up from there.

When you improve any of these aspects of your health, you will be improving your overall wellness.

For Men’s Health Month, you can improve your wellness and to help combat stigma.