Men it’s REALLY Time to Talk
So it’s 2021. We have lived/ are currently living through a pandemic. We’ve done lockdown (a couple of times). We’ve had horrific events unfold and secrets come to light. I mean it’s not ALL BAD, but we have seen and felt a lot. This piece is aimed at Men, the Mandem. I want to tell you about 2 books you MUST READ in 2021.
Mental health in men is super important, luckily the circle and support bubble I’m in have healthy discussions regarding our emotions and feelings. But it was not always this way. Deep emotions and feelings were not always hot topics with us. Learning to communicate your emotions and feelings is a journey, especially as a man. From early on we are told - ‘Man up’, ‘boys don’t cry’, ‘boys don’t wear these colours’, not to mention peer pressure to do ‘stuff the mandem do’. These are only small issues compared to the myriad of situations, feelings and experiences that men go through, that is kept inside under a guise of bravado.
Guvna B (award-winning recording artist) and Alex Holmes (award-winning podcaster, and mental health advocate) both released 2 BRILLIANT books that I urge all men to read. Both books explore men’s mental health. - Guvna B’s book Unspoken - Toxic masculinity and how I faced the man within the man details the personal account of losing his father, and his struggle with connecting with the emotion inside, while having to be the ‘man of the house’, juggle music, life, and more. All told through the eyes of Guvna B. I believe Guvna B’s story will resonate with young black men all over, BUT it will hold a special place for any UK readers, with mentions to Custom House, Shoreditch etc.. eyyyy ends!
Alex Holme’s book titled - Time To Talk - How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection is a manual to Men’s Mental Health. Alex delves into all the questions we ask in our heads, all the thoughts we don’t say out loud. He unpacks the stereotypes that are placed on Men and re-adjusts how we think about them. There are offerings of personal stories from a diverse cohort of Men, as well as from Alex himself. The statistics in this book will shock you, and make you think deeply about the connections in your life, and if you are living and feeling the best you can be.
I strongly believe these two books are a great start to becoming aware of your (Men’s) Mental Health and give you a basic clear set foundation to help maintain it.
