BE ACTIVE
One of the theories about why women get depressed more often than men is to do with women having a greater tendency to obsess about their feelings, which actually makes people feel worse rather than better. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to distract themselves from their low moods by engaging in activity. This action-oriented approach eases depression more effectively than brooding.
Unfortunately, because women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men, descriptions of its symptoms, as well as suggested “cures”, tend to be female-oriented. The focus is on our moods and feelings and the need to talk it out. And because our whole culture has been influenced by modern psychological theories, even men now frequently see depression through this talking about feelings and sad stuff lens.
When it comes to learning how to manage our emotions as men, the focus ought to be on tapping into our innate tendency to deal with it through action rather than talking. Don't get me wrong, thinking through your issues and talking to others is definitely healthy, but it needs to be paired with action. Brooding and long conversations won't pull you out of a dark place on its own.
Be active. And by active I don't mean distracting yourself with alcohol, internet surfing, porn, etc., ignoring the root causes of your issues will leave you more vulnerable than before.
Common distractions men resort to when feeling depressed include TV watching, video game playing, and web surfing. There’s nothing wrong with these activities in moderation, but if done too much, they will only make you feel more depressed — or at least no better than before.
In a study in which participants were paged at random times during the day and asked to report on how they were feeling, people were found to experience their lowest mood when watching TV or surfing the web, especially late at night.
Another distraction men commonly turn to when depressed is porn. While the good feelings that come with beating your meat to porn can lighten a low mood in the short-term, this habit does more harm than good in the long-term.
Repeatedly stimulating your dopamine production in an artificial way, whether through excessive porn use or drugs abuse, leads to dopamine desensitisation. And recent research has shown that dopamine desensitisation can cause depression. Which makes sense. One symptom of depression is the lack of motivation to do things that once brought you joy. Dopamine is the gatekeeper of motivation, so if your brain becomes deadened to it, your drive decreases, and you get all sad.
The intentional pursuit of healthy, mood- boosting actions is what’s needed — it's hard to be sad when you're consistently doing things that force your body to produce feel good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Healthy practices should be a matter of habit everyday — and nearly automatic — during your good times, then it'll be much easier to maintain during your low times.
BE HUMAN
Depression is practically non-existent in hunter-gatherer tribes that still live as our ancestors did for thousands of years. They experience the natural emotional ebb and flow of life, including low moods. But the ageless habits they continue to practice prevents their moments of sadness from ever spiralling into a "mental disease" that renders them bed ridden.
I truly believe most of our problems with depression stem from forgetting how to live like a human. We're products of our environment, and we've created a society that allows people to be sedentary, anti-social and mentally and physically weak. These are all poor adaptations that don't allow us to thrive.
I'm not saying you have to join a tribe and live in the wild to protect yourself from feeling depressed. Living as a 21st century man who honours some of the old ways of his ancestors would offer a lot of benefits though.
Your lifestyle can act as a natural antidepressant. Incorporate these 4 things below into your everyday life and your mind will thank you.
- Get lots of physical activity and sunlight.
- Eat a nutrient rich diet free of processed garbage.
- Have tight knit social circle and nurture meaningful relationships.
- Prioritise sleep.
We go into these further HERE so check this blog out if you want to know more about implementing these things into your daily routine.
Always remember, you were born to be a hero.
Free your outlaw.