Helping Dads to Live Life Well

Father’s Day brings us the opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing men’s physical, mental and emotional health. 

Men’s bodies have unique and particular needs, which must be properly addressed so that they can live life to the fullest. We have curated some essential information and resources that deal with male health and the support and upliftment thereof, so that we can work together to ensure that our male loved-ones are living life well.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Men and women have physical and biological differences, which means that we need to maintain our health in unique ways. There are a number of vitamins and minerals that men should supplement with in order to keep everything functioning as it should. Luckily Wellness Warehouse has a selection of specially formulated men's health products so that you can easily access the products and supplements that you or the men in your life may need.

SHOP MEN’S HEALTH PRODUCTS

There are also several tests and screenings that are essential for monitoring and maintaining a healthy male body. Below are some resources that list important health checks for men:

• Check-Ups Every Guy Needs, Depending on Your Age 
• Regular Health Check-Ups Essential for Men’s Health 
• Essential Screening Tests Every Man Needs 
• 6 Essential Blood Tests You Should Have 
• Health Checks for Men 
• Male Health Check Up: Things Men Should Have Checked in Medical Exam 
• Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Men 

You can also check out our article on Men’s Wellbeing After 40 which discusses the importance of hormones and hormonal imbalance in men.

MENTAL HEALTH

Men are vulnerable to a number of serious mental health problems that need to be understood and spoken about so that seeking help can become destigmatised and normalised. Unconditional strength is too heavy of a burden for any human being. The more we open up the dialogue about male mental health, the more we are able to support and encourage the strong, brave and beautiful men in our lives to take care of themselves as they would take care of their loved ones.

Men’s Mental Health - Recommended Reading

• Men’s Mental Health: A Silent Crisis 
• 10 Men Tell Us What They Wish Other Men Knew About Mental Health 
• Mental Health for Men
• Not Talking About Mental Health is Literally Killing Men 
• Men and Mental Health 
• Fathers’ Mental Health 
• We Need to Talk About Dad’s Mental Health
• The Mental Health of Dads Matters 
• Fathers’ views and experiences of their own mental health during pregnancy and the first postnatal year

Ever Heard of Perinatal Depression - in Men? 

Perinatal depression (this includes both prenatal and postpartum depression) is a very real condition that affects millions of mothers around the world. However, a little-known fact is that men are also vulnerable.

Perinatal depression is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth. Symptoms can be emotional, behavioural and cognitive, and may include:

• Low energy
• Anxiety
• Changes in sleeping or eating patterns 
• Irritability
• Periods of crying 
• Extreme sadness and depression
• Trouble bonding with the baby
• Poor self-care

A parent that is suffering from perinatal depression may feel that they are not capable of caring for their child, and, in serious cases, psychosis may develop which could lead to parents experiencing thoughts of harming their child. Treatment includes psychotherapy, psychiatric medication, community support and talk therapy. This is a very serious issue, and it is essential that we look out for any worrying symptoms in soon-to-be and new parents.

Below are some resources which discuss perinatal depression in men:

• Perinatal Anxiety and Depression in Men
• Antenatal Depression and Postnatal Depression in Men 
• Postnatal Depression in Dads: 10 Things You Should Know 
• Postnatal Depression: Men Get It Too 
• Men Get Postnatal Depression, Too 
• Postpartum Anxiety and OCD for Men 
• Everything Dads Need to Know About Postpartum Depression 

TED TALKS

There are a number of brilliant and entertaining TED Talks that explore issues surrounding men and men’s health, as well as the societal expectations that are placed on men: 

• There Is No Shame in Taking Care of Your Mental Health by Sangu Delle 
• Healthier Men, One Moustache at a Time by Adam Garone
• His and Hers... Health Care by Paula Johnson 
• How I Unlearned Dangerous Lessons About Masculinity by Eldra Jackson
• Why I’m Done Trying to Be Man Enough by Justin Baldoni
• How Movies Teach Manhood  by Colin Stokes
• The Surprise Science of Alpha Males by Frans de Waal 
• The Mask of Masculinity: The Traditional Role of Men is Evolving by Connor Beaton
• We Need to Talk About Male Suicide by Steph Slack
• How to Manage Your Mental Health by Leon Taylor 
• How Barbershops Can Keep Men Healthy by Joseph Ravenell
• I’ve Lived as a Man and a Woman – Here’s What I Learned by Paula Stone Williams

This is a conversation that we need to be having as a society so that men can access the support, love and encouragement that they need to live life well.