Masculinity, leadership and mental health – what you need to know

This article is dedicated to managers who identify themselves as cis men. That doesn’t mean that the other incumbents won’t get anything out of it. You can observe the warning signs in your employees, and our tips will tell you how to offer them help. You may also notice them in yourself – many of them apply to every person, not just men.

So if we are talking about men in this text, we mean precisely cis men.

Masculinity, leadership and crisis

In the current situation, your leadership role will be even more challenging. You are the one your team members will rely on. You may think that, since this is the case, as befits a man in a crisis situation, you should be tough and composed or move on to action.

Sure, as a leader you are tasked with taking care of your team, but try to do it in a healthy way – for your employees and for you.

Remember to take care of yourself as well. Such a huge crisis as the war in Ukraine can take a toll on your mental and physical health. This is normal, you are a man and a leader, but above all – you are a man.

Leadership and masculinity

Unfortunately, leadership is still stereotypically associated with men and traits considered typically masculine. Such thinking does not only harm women and other people. Toxic masculinity and the reinforcement of patriarchy are also hurting men. Above all, their mental health suffers.

A man in a leadership position can be particularly vulnerable – he has to navigate the rules and expectations of him as a leader – strong, always in control, assertive. Others-primarily, but not only men-also expect a
manifestations of
toxic masculinity as signs of leadership:

• Physical strength
• Dominance
• Lack of emotion
• Independence

Difficult to get rid of dysfunctional behaviors that boys are taught from the beginning: stifling and not expressing emotions, unhealthy ways of communicating, and disrespect for someone’s boundaries are extremely hurtful and
increase the risk of
Such diseases as depression. Then we are also less likely to reach out for help.

Leaders, therefore, burdened with responsibility, but also with (often unhealthy) expectations of a man in a leadership position, should take all the more care of their mental condition. Especially since, under stress or anxiety resulting from crisis situations, these toxic behaviors can be reinforced.

How do you recognize the warning signs in yourself?

Men are more likely to recognize in themselves
symptoms of
Physical, rather than mental/emotional. They are also more – than other people – likely to reportsthat they feel irritation, anger or even aggression, rather than sadness or lowered mood. Below you will find the most common warning signs.

Physical Symptoms:

• Persistent fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Abdominal pain, stomach complaints
• Changes in weight – gaining or losing a few pounds
• Headaches, muscle aches, tense body
• Decreased libido (less often – increased sex drive)

Changes in behavior and emotions:

• Irritation, anger, aggressiveness
• Anxiety, fear
• Feelings of emptiness and loneliness
• Decline in motivation
• No sense of purpose
• Difficulty going to bed and/or getting out of bed in the morning
• Loss of interest
• The feeling of being a failure
• Suicidal thoughts, desire to harm oneself

If you have
suicidal thoughts
Or want to mutilate yourself:

Call 999 or 112. If you can, ask someone to stay by your side until the ambulance arrives.

What can you do for yourself (and others)?

Taking care of
your
health, you also help your employees. Your better mental condition and healthier behavior make you a better leader. You set an example of how to help yourself and how to replace toxic
male behavior
healthy.

If you are in good mental shape, you can better support your team during such difficult world events as Putin’s attack on Ukraine.

• Psychological support

Everyone needs professional help sometimes. If we go to the doctor with physical problems, why don’t we consult a psychiatrist or psychologist? Take advantage of benefit supportmental health, even on a trial basis. It may turn out to be just what you needed. Especially now, when you can grapple with the difficult emotions of war, while supporting your team yourself.

• Honest conversation

Talk openly about your problems – show that a leader does not at all have to be and is not always poised and unemotional. And also that feeling worse and sharing his feelings does not deprive him of his masculinity. An open dialogue about the fear associated with the war in Ukraine can “tame” this fear a bit and motivate others to speak up. Of course, only if you feel like it. Do not, under any circumstances, force yourself to do it, because you can harm yourself.

• Healthy work-life balance

Appropriate
balance
between work and the rest of life is essential for health – excessive stress or job burnout are just some of the consequences of neglecting it. Try not to stay after hours at work – and encourage your employees to do the same.

• Contact with nature

Being in the midst of
nature
and not concrete and asphalt relaxes us and gives us a chance to calm down, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and current events. You don’t have to hug trees or take a day trip to the mountains – even
A 20-minute
visit to a nearby park yields results.

• Healthy expression

Practice expressing your emotions in a healthy, creative way. Remember that there are no “male” or “female” hobbies – there are only those we like or don’t like. Therefore, go ahead, bake cakes, dance, sing, knit, draw! Being creative can be very helpful in the current situation – try expressing your emotions with painting or writing, for example.

• Avoid stimulants

Limit, or preferably give up completely, cigarettes, alcohol and other stimulants. While it may seem that a glass of wine in the evening or a cigarette on a lunch break helps us relax, they actually do us harm. We are not just talking about the consequences for our bodies. Alcohol in particular acts as a depressant, thus negatively affecting our mood and nervous system. And let’s not forget the very real
for everyone
the possibility of becoming addicted to a substance.

Instead of reaching for a stimulant, use the healthier alternatives we wrote about above. If you suspect you may be an addict, contact your doctor and get psychological support.