Men’s Health Month – Part 1: Wellness

Men’s Health Awareness Month – June 1, 2023

From breaking the stigma to sleeping well, here are a few things to check in on to ensure you’re living your best, most healthy life in 2023.

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and it’s a time for real talk. At Du Brule Hair Clinic, we work hard to ensure that our clients are looking their best on the outside, which has a profound impact on how they feel on the inside. However, there are many factors that contribute to feeling truly well, and June is the time to reflect on what we’ve done, and what we can do, for our health.

Health is a complex issue and there’s simply no way around that. Without any doubt you will have heard a hundred different pieces of advice about how you should respond to any given problem. Maybe your knees are sore, maybe you’re a little short of breath after a small amount of exercise, or maybe you’ve been feeling down and can’t seem to find a reason why.

While finding the right answers isn’t always a cakewalk, there’s a few things you can do to check-in on yourself. Here’s some things you can use as a sort of checklist for your health this year.

1. Mental Health

As far back as most of us can remember, there has been a stigma attached to mental health. This is especially true for men, as traditional gender roles suggest that the man needs to be self-sufficient, strong, and tough both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a perceived weakness when men seek help for mental health issues.

It’s Not Weakness, It’s Strength

It feels almost ironic to suggest, but allowing oneself to be vulnerable enough to seek help is a significant sign of strength. Being able to look inward and identify that you need help isn’t a failure to live up to invisible expectations, it’s being human. Asking for help isn’t always easy, but it stands as the crucial first step to feeling better and getting the most out of this life.

There is still a lot of work to be done to break down the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. The stigma is dangerous because it tends to promote staying quiet, even though you’re suffering. There are still too many reasons for a man to feel unsafe about speaking up, and that needs to change.

However, each time this harmful gender norm is challenged, the world gets a little better. The number of resources available is growing as well as the awareness of the unique challenges that men face. It is increasingly common to see celebrities and athletes using their platform to speak up about mental health, and it’s great to see.

It’s important to remember that when one suffers, everyone suffers.

Here are some recommended resources if you are struggling or have questions:

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)

HeadsUpGuys

Movember

Hair Loss and Mental Health

In over 40 years as a hair clinic, we’ve been able to see the immense impact that hair loss can have on someone’s mental health. For many people, their hair is a major part of the value they put on their appearance and to see it going away can, understandably, lead to problems with self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth. Hair loss can cause people to withdraw from social interactions and activities for the sole reason that they don’t feel like the best version of themselves without their hair.

Our goal at Du Brule Hair Clinic is to help restore that sense of self through a variety of hair treatment options. We’ve been lucky to have seen how hair restoration can shift someone’s entire world for the better. For so many, looking good is a big part of feeling good, and we’re happy to be able to help!

2. Stress and Work/Life Balance

Modern life can make it tough to achieve a positive work/life balance. Things are fast-paced, and it can feel as though you’ll be left behind if you stop for even a second. For a lot of people, it’s a challenge to stop work from seeping into other aspects of their lives. It’s overwhelming and whether you’re a person who ‘doesn’t mind the grind’ or not, it’s causing stress on your body and on your mind.

Stress has shown to have a significant impact on hair loss. Stress causes the release of a hormone in the body called cortisol, which is apptly also known as the ‘stress hormone’. Cortisol can severely disrupt the normal hair growth cycle. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to a condition called Telogen Effluvium, which causes excessive shedding and thinning of the hair.

Take some time and consider your own work/life balance and things like:

• Am I nurturing or neglecting my personal relationships?
• Am I making any time for the stuff I like? (Hobbies, interests, etc.)
• Am I giving myself time to exercise and unwind?
• Am I burnt out?

Work/life balance is critical for your happiness and overall wellbeing. When we take the time to recharge and engage with activities outside of work, we improve our creativity and problem-solving abilities which helps in life and at work. This is good practice not just for your life, but for your hair as well!

3. Sleep

In the interest of trying to optimize our mental health and reduce stress in our lives, sleep is of the utmost importance. Allowing your body and mind to rest, recharge, and repair is so crucial in our daily lives. Though, it’s not just setting aside some hours and going to sleep. It’s about ensuring that your sleep is of the highest possible quality.

Getting a good night’s sleep plays a key role in our brain function and cognitive abilities. It helps our memory stay sharp, while also improving our ability to stay focused and solve problems. Staying well-rested is also vital to our emotional wellbeing. It helps us to keep our mood regulated and better equips us to handle stress and anxiety. This reduces the risk of developing mental health condtions like depression, anxiety, etc.

Here’s some common things to consider and possibly re-tune when it comes to the quality of your sleep:

Caffeine Intake

It’s no surprise that caffeine can affect your sleep (as it’s often used to combat feeling tired), but it might be helpful to consider how much caffeine you’re taking in. Even for folks who feel that caffeine doesn’t affect them, reducing consumption could be beneficial as caffeine (whether it noticably affects you or not) interferes with the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Alcohol Consumption

Although alcohol may seem like it helps put you to sleep, it affects your natural sleep cycle significantly. It tends to interfere with all of the stages of sleep and results in your sleep being shallow and fragmented. Breaking up critical cycles in your sleep will result in a less restorative sleep overall.

Screen Time

This is a big one nowadays. It’s easy for the minutes and hours to fly by while we watch reels and laugh at cat videos, but that screen time before bed is not helping the quality of your sleep at all. The content that you’re looking at can be stimulating and causing your mind to resist entering the initial stages of the sleep cycle.

Blue light is another factor with screen time before bed. Blue light, which is emitted from your phone’s screen, has been shown to suppress the production of melatonin, which is a hormone critical in the initial stages of sleep.

Consider adjusting some of these habits if you’re finding it hard to sleep, or perhaps that your sleep is not feeling restorative. A little adjustment can go a long way toward feeling better in your everyday life!