Stress in Men

Let’s face it; life is full of ups and downs and is not as smooth as we would love to see it. All our life we keep facing variety of circumstances, some good and some not so good. Any alteration in a person’s normal ritual or health can lead to stress. 

Men also Stress

Common factors which may lead to stress in men are:

  • Confrontations
  • Deadlines
  • Legal matters
  • Long working hours leading to no family life
  • Change in job /work profile / poor performance at work / job loss
  • Trying to be Successful – seen as a must today
  • Financial pressures
  • Long term illness
  • Death of loved ones
  • Personal relationships – marriage/ separation / divorce
  • Raising children -unable to bond well with kids
Some of the other causes of stress that men are not exempted from are:
  • Male Fertility: It is evident that emotional stress decreases testosterone levels thereby affecting sexual health of men manifesting as Erectile Dysfunction leading to Infertility and Impotency.

  • Midlife Crisis: It is mainly related to men more than women. Men generally experience this period between the ages of 40 to 60. For some men, this can be a complicated, uncertain and emotionally uncomfortable time which can lead to stress and depression.
  • Retirement: At the outset retirement can look like a dream men may be waiting for years, but when it actually arrives it brings with it lot of changes in lifestyle. While retiring, there are tons of feelings rolling in the minds on men like that of loneliness, worthlessness, losing their individual identity, along with boredom.
Effects of stress on men:
  • Physical effects: Stress in men can lead to serious health problems like chronic fatigue, irregular sleeping patterns, migraine, erectile dysfunction etc.
  • Emotional effects: Along with other symptoms, men are also prone to emotional signs of stress like anger, sadness, depression, feeling of weighed down, periodic mood swings, feeling of loneliness, useless worry, irritability and feeling of insecurity.

  • Behavioral effects: When stressed out badly, men display behavioral changes which may include: eating disorders, quick temper, isolating from relationships, ignoring duties, acting on impulse, getting into bad habits like drugs, smoking, drinking etc.
Handling Stress:
Stress management methods used to reduce stress levels in men are:
  • Yes I do: One of the main causes of stress in men is they refuse to accept it, keep on ignoring it and reject to seek medical help. Men don’t like portraying themselves as weak; instead they like to show that they can handle problems on their own.

  • Exercising:  Moderate exercise on a daily basis can be a great way to drive away stress out of your mind.
  • Eating healthy:  Having a healthy diet full of nutrients, calcium, proteins, vitamins and fiber can help men immensely in many ways; including relieving stress.
  • Breathing: More often men should take the time out and go for deep breathing exercises which will help them calm down faster and have a focused mind.

One has to always remember that ‘the time to relax is when you don’t have the time for it’. Work is a very good tonic. When body works, the mind relaxes.