International Men's Day 2025: An expert-backed practical guide to improving mental well-being

Today November 19 is celebrated as International Menrsquos Day It is the day when men especially those hooked on to social media might end up accessing volumes of online content detailing the importance of opening up being vulnerable and being attuned to onersquos emotions These may feel like the latest addition to numerous other pressures that Gen Z and younger millennial men tend to feel the burden of mdash looks fitness career productivity dating and relationships The common factor in all is the pressure to perform multiplied amidst fastpaced daily lifeSocial media and the Internet as a whole act as triggers for various emotions such as envy rage or general stressWe reached out to clinical psychologist Dr Nikhila Deshpande founder of Italk Therapy in Goregaon for inputs on the same If yoursquore looking to break away from this addictive ecosystem herersquos a practical guidebook to remind you that itrsquos okay to step off this scoreboard and instead focus on mental wellbeingSocial media detoxAccording to the Global Digital Report 2025 by data suite Meltwater Indian men 655 per cent make up a disproportionate share of social media users compared to women 345 per cent From influencers giving lectures on the most desirable fitness goals to culture wars around gender the performance pressure becomes manifold which makes taking time off social media a crucial step for young menMany men turn to workaholism as a way of proving themselves which in turn increases stressldquoSeeing such triggers becomes a stressor for young men and hence a comparison point be it career goals or a recent breakup Men Irsquove seen are incredibly competitive and these triggers then affect their sense of selfworth which they tie to their achievementsrdquo Dr Deshpande elucidates to us She strongly suggests making it a point to mute or unfollow accounts that maximise mental pressure Even a simple thing like uninstalling an app or setting a daily screen time limit on your smartphone can help with the constant bug of comparisonTime for relaxationHobbies have long been found to be therapeutic for many playing an integral role in alleviating anxiety depression and even mere loneliness Notably hobbies involve structured time focusing on the activity taken out from onersquos daily obligations Dr Deshpande cautions against only engaging in activities that test onersquos performancePressure to perform and live up to expectations can pile up until it begin to affect physical healthldquoMen often become workaholics or simply hit the gym as a result which is once again a performancebased activity for many The stress piles up and eventually impacts heart and liver healthrdquo she says ldquoI always recommend men activities that actually calm down the body be it yoga running or working out without competition Breathing exercises can particularly helprdquoAlternatively hobbies such as cooking practising an instrument or taking a walk while listening to music can work just as well Find a hobby that works for you individually and give it a dedicated period during the day You might also want to set a small personal goal or unit of progress such as one sketch a day or a week a particular distance to runRecognise the rootDr Nikhila DeshpandeFor young men especially those entering the workforce identifying the root cause of concern can be the best solution to reduce the pressure to perform ldquoTalking to a trusted friend male or female always helpsrdquo says Dr Deshpande adding ldquoIf you do need therapy and manage to access it nothing like it Often talking to someone you trust makes it easier to get to the root of the issue bothering yourdquo As a personal ritual try noting where any mental burden stems from A genuine personal limitation a perceived flaw through the clutches of othersrsquo opinions or a feeling of needing to constantly upgrade yourself Confronting the problem can make solutions easierSetting boundariesOften the simplest solution is developing a routine that fits your lifestyle However Dr Deshpande says that many young men she meets are already very disciplined and goaloriented ldquoThe struggle lies in the inability to set boundaries Our social fabric is already such that men feel compelled in running away from the issue and hence are unable to set clear boundaries when they need to mdash mainly with partners parents and even childrenrdquo she describes She recommends being strict about selfcare be it avoiding an outing to focus on exercise or disconnecting from other obligationsIntrospect wellWhether you open up or not to another person is an individual choice regardless of the numerous popups of information extolling emotional transparency amongst young men Dr Deshpande adds that suppressing it only adds to physical and emotional stress ldquoWomen tend to reach out to friends for resolution and discussion But young men do not typically do that Hence I always recommend journalling as an outlet Whether it is jealousy anger overthinking and more introspection always helps when sharing does not come naturallyrdquo she signs off