A Wellbeing Formula - Men’s Mental Health Month Edition
There’s a common thread among some of the most grounded and impactful men I’ve read about lately: they all emphasize the importance of letting things out.
Norman Vincent Peale called it mind emptying.
Jamie Winship calls it truth-telling.
Jesus called it confession.
Whatever name you give it, the action is the same: let it out.
Speak it. Write it. Name it.
The weight you carry—especially if it's shame—is likely what’s holding you back. And here’s the paradox: the bigger the shame, the more power it has in the dark. But once it’s brought into the light, that same energy becomes fuel. For love. For creativity. For presence.
This is where wellbeing begins. Private work impacts public interaction.
Step 1: Tell the Truth About What’s Going On Inside
What are you carrying right now?
You don’t need to make it eloquent. Just make it honest.
Say it to someone you trust.
Write it in a notebook.
Speak it to God.
The obstacle you’re facing might not be the situation—it might be the silence. Naming what’s true is often what breaks the dam for love, ideas, and healing to flow.
Step 2: Eat Your Way Back to the Soul
There’s something beautiful I came across in Soul Keeping by John Ortberg: the word “soul” may trace back to words tied to the mouth, throat, or stomach.
Whether or not the etymology holds, the symbolism does.
Your soul doesn’t just live in your mind—it lives in your body. And it longs for rhythm, nourishment, and rest.
So next time you’ve released something heavy, don’t rush off.
Eat something slowly. Share a meal, a quiet cup of coffee, food that follows a sacred moment of emptying.
Breathe.
Try this: next time you’ve poured out what’s weighing you down, don’t rush off. Eat something slowly. Taste your way back to peace. If you know someone else who is struggling, invite them over for a meal.
Step 3: Hear the Voice That Grounds You
There’s a study that Adam Grant posted on Mother’s Day that showed when young girls hear their mother’s voice (not just read a text), their stress levels drop and oxytocin rises—the love hormone.
That made me wonder: who does that for the men I know?
Is it a partner? A father? A coach? A friend?
If you're not sure, this month is a good time to notice.
Who are the voices that steady you?
Make a list.
Reach out.
Let yourself be reminded that you're not doing life alone.
Step 4: Read to Rewire
There’s a story from Norman Vincent Peale’s life where a bookstore owner in Birmingham, Alabama, handed him a doctor’s prescription—not for medicine, but for books. Each book was “prescribed” for the doctor’s patients for a different emotional wound. And it worked.
Reading is powerful. It quiets the mind. It shifts our focus. It lights up parts of the brain associated with empathy, reasoning, and insight.
Reading for 6 minutes reduces stress by up to 68%, according to a 2009 University of Sussex study.
Try a 30-day detox from social media and mainstream news. Instead, feed your mind on something nourishing every single day. You don’t need 10 chapters. Just 10 minutes can shift your day.
(Email me if you’d like recommendations, I always have some.)
The Bonus Step: Assess the Facts Without the Judgment
Before you move forward, write down the facts. Not the feelings. Not the catastrophizing. Just the facts of your situation.
Then, look at them like a coach would—objectively, curiously, without judgment.
That’s where coaching comes in.
What’s Your Next Best Step?
If you’re ready to try a different path—to move from survival into strength—we’re here.
Coaching offers a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month partnership focused on you: your growth, your voice, your freedom. Not therapy. Not advice. Just clarity, connection, and forward movement.
Let’s talk.