Men don’t often seek help for stress-related issues. And if they do, it’s only after suffering for far too long. Dr. Doni covers stress recovery for men.
I realize that often my practice seems geared towards women and female health issues, not men. We hear the words “hormones”, “cortisol” and “stress” and immediately think: WOMEN.
But men have hormones…
They produce cortisol…
And they absolutely experience stress…
Sometimes more so than we—or themselves—give them credit for.
Effects of Stress On Men
I see men in my practice struggle with stress recovery daily. While they may not consider it to be stress-related initially, their symptoms quickly paint a common picture:
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep Issues
- Increased Blood Pressure
- Muscle Tension and Headaches
- Digestive Distress
- Heart Palpitations
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Difficulty Building Muscle
- Loss of Interest in Intimacy
- Decreased Memory and Focus
The Issue of Stress In Men
Despite these very common symptoms, men don’t often seek help—and if they do, it’s only after suffering for far too long.
Why?
In my experience, it’s simply due to men believing this is the way it is. Sure, they’re tired—more so than before. Yes, their sleep has been disrupted—and it’s a struggle to be productive. And maybe there’s a lack of “performance” in the bedroom that they want to address—but they’re simply too embarrassed to discuss it.
Before I get ahead of myself, I 100% understand (and love) that men are NOT the sole providers anymore. That said, many men still do feel the pressure (whether necessary or not) to perform at work, be successful and provide or care for their spouse, children and even parents.
All of this increases stress.
Yet, they either don’t register it as stress or ignore it. They push through and withstand the accumulating stress symptoms.
As you already know from previous posts, the more we’re exposed to stress, the more our cortisol levels are thrown off balance, disrupting our thyroid. What you may not know is that many men have thyroid issues that go undiscovered for long periods of time.
This causes fatigue, weight gain, low mood, decreased motivation and creativity, cold hands and feet, increased heart disease risk, and high cholesterol levels.
Additionally, stress causes an imbalance in the:
- Nervous System
- Digestive System
- Immune System
Turning Men Into Stress Warriors
What does it mean to be a Stress Warrior? It means STAYING HEALTHY DESPITE MOMENTS OF STRESS.
We’re not ever going to be able to eliminate stress entirely from our lives (and, that’s not the goal) but how we address, manage and work through it makes a big difference on our overall physical health and mental wellbeing. Then we can choose challenges that inspire us without getting depleted.
Managing stress isn’t a male or female thing.
One way doesn’t “work” better than another depending on the sex of the person, however, men and women may be more inclined to one over the other. For instance, women are more open to discussing problems or seeing a therapist than men. Finding the right method for stress reduction is a personal preference but a combination of the following can be very successful:
- Meditation or Mindfulness Techniques
- Having Your Thyroid Routinely Checked
- Diet and Nutrition Changes To Balance Blood Sugar and Drop Inflammation
- Exercising 3-4x a Week
- Using Herbs and Nutrients to Reset Stress Exposure, and actually, HELP YOUR ADRENAL GLANDS RECOVER.
- Resetting Your Sleep Patterns (Get My Checklist For Better Sleep Here!)
- Having Your Cortisol Levels Checked Periodically
The Gift of Optimal Health
Similar to my post for Mother’s Day, it’s important to bring a year-round focus to health, not just when Father’s Day is right around the corner. While it helps us to shine a spotlight on the wellbeing of the men in our lives, true health comes from working on it 365 days a year.
Men shouldn’t feel that they cannot come forward to discuss the symptoms they are experiencing. Opening up the conversation for men to seek help is the first step of stress recovery—but this goes for everyone!
Man or woman, if you are experiencing symptoms such as the ones above or are done ignoring the obvious signs of stress burnout, reach out to me today. Together, we can formulate a customized stress recovery program for you to get back to the best version of yourself.
Read more in my Stress Warrior book – online here.
You can get started with my 21-day Stress Remedy Program (with products) here. Men who completed this program reported improved energy, mood, sleep, and vitality. If you are the kind of person who likes to implement right away, on your own, with a step-by-step plan, you’ll love this.
And if you’d like one-on-one detailed help, to take a look at your cortisol, adrenaline, thyroid, gut bacteria, and more, let’s find a time to meet in-person or by phone/video so I can help you get back on track. The men who have attained the most benefit, in the shortest amount of time, have chosen my FastTrack Program. Start by letting me know what you’d like to accomplish and my office can help you set up a time for us to meet.