It's Time for a Men’s Health Reboot
Are you a human being or a human doing? It amazes me the number of times that I ask someone “how are you?” and the reply that I get is “oh I’ve been busy”. Another common response is to give me a list of things that they have been doing. Maybe that is one of the reasons why society is stressed, anxious and disengaged. People are so busy “doing”, that they have forgotten how to just “be”.
I’d like to bring a mindful focus this month to the issue of men’s health. Blokes are very good doers. It seems that men are pre-wired to want to fix things. If they aren’t tinkering in the shed, or on the car, or maybe doing some home maintenance, their minds are in the ready to fix something. For some, it might even be a fractured relationship. And after the initial phase of denying that there is a problem, the next response is to leap in to fix it. Even though their toolkit is empty, they still want to fix it. But what about how to fix you?
Do you want your old mojo back?
Is anxiety/depression ruining your day?
Do you want to be a better dad, partner, friend, lover, husband, role model?
Is alcohol intake out of control rather than in control?
Are you carrying a few too many kilos?
Are you repeating the old patterns or someone else’s patterns?
Do you ever wonder "how the hell did I end up this way?"
Maybe this is a time to give your self a reboot. I like to take a holistic approach and ask male clients to focus on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. A lot of guys don’t like to acknowledge that their body is not what it used to be. Hey fellas – it’s called ageing! But like old rockers, you don’t have to age disgracefully.
Did you know that testosterone levels reach their peak in your late 20's and start to decline by about 1% a year from your 30th birthday? By the age of 70, the average man’s testosterone level is 30% below its peak.
Testosterone is the male hormone that assists in the regulation of sex drive (libido), bone mass, muscle strength, fat distribution and red blood cell production. So if you are a middle-aged guy who has noticed changes in your body, then the chances are that you are normal. Without giving up and saying “ah it is all the lack of testosterone’s fault,” you can take control and make positive changes now. Recent studies are highlighting three areas of focus to get your mojo back:
Resistance and weight training for short-term testosterone boost.
Reduce abdominal fat through exercise.
Eating foods that are high in vitamin D. (e.g. tuna, eggs, beef, shellfish, beans)
When it comes to the behavioural aspects (mental and emotional), the first principle I apply is that the person is not the behaviour. Real change occurs when we take the person out of the picture and work on changing the behaviour. Many guys have the “aha” moment when they tell me that the erroneous behaviour is something that their dad used to do, or it is something that they did in a past relationship and they thought they had got rid of it. Effective change occurs when blokes realise that they are now in control and can put the old habits into the past. Wouldn’t you love to create your future now?
Are you ready for a reboot? Brett at Cameron Hypnotics has created a 6 Session Men’s Health Reboot program for $799. Check out the website for payment options - www.cameronhypnotics.com.au. You can also email brett@cameronhypnotics.com.au or call on 0403 335 751.
