Society has forced men to believe they have to be tough all the time. They can’t be hurt, they can’t be sick, and they must bring home the bacon. While you might think this would make men take better care of themselves, the opposite is often true. As a result of society’s expectations, and in a bid to project toughness, many men end up making mistakes with their health that could prove to be extremely harmful to them in the future. They ignore signs of illness, bottle up their feelings, and much worse. To live a healthy life, here are seven health mistake you must avoid.
1. Bottling up bad feelings
Although there will always be exceptions, on the whole, men are much less likely to speak about their feelings than women. They tend not to express emotion and don’t ask for help or support when they need it. It’s probably because of this than men are much less likely to be diagnosed with depression, but are more likely to commit suicide. Bottling up bad feelings won’t make them go away. Instead, it will make them worse, which is why it’s important that you talk about them.
2. Drinking alcohol in excess
Binge drinking is a habit that is much more common among men. While it might not seem too big a problem, alcohol can affect your long-term health, as well as your immediate safety. There are consistently higher numbers of alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths in men than in women. To avoid being in such a situation, you must safeguard your health by drinking in moderation and sticking to recommended limits. You should also never drink and drive.
3. Putting off doctor’s visits
Men tend not to visit the doctor for the same reason they don’t ask for directions or read the instructions when assembling furniture. They prefer to learn by doing instead of asking for help. The problem with this is that there is often very little that you can do to help yourself when you’re sick. This is especially true when serious illnesses are concerned. Early diagnosis is best, so make sure you attend regular checkups and book an appointment when you feel unwell.
4. Leaving glasses at home
Glasses are more popular than ever these days, being seen as a fashion accessory more than an aid. However, even with this popularity, some men who need glasses choose not to wear them. There are several reasons this might be, from not wanting to display weakness to not being able to play sports in them. Regardless of your reason, you should consider Bausch + Lomb Contact Lenses. If you won’t wear glasses, then contact lenses work just as well.
5. Saying no to sunscreen
Most people avoid putting on sunscreen, but, surprisingly, men are the worst offenders. Although many would assume that women would make this mistake most often, many men think it ridiculous to wear any sort of skincare product. This leaves them exposed to harmful UV rays, increasing their risk of developing skin cancer. Whenever you go outside, you must remember to cover up with sunscreen. This is just as important in the winter as it is during the summertime.
6. Eating too much takeaway
Some of the most famous chefs in the world are men. Unfortunately, this doesn’t change the fact that a lot of men know very little about cooking. Rather than learn, they take advantage of the many fast food and takeaway restaurants we have available to us. While there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to this junk food now and then, you shouldn’t eat it for every meal. Most takeaways contain far too many calories and copies amounts of salt, after all.
7. Hitting the gym too hard
We all know that exercise is necessary for a healthy life. As well as helping you to maintain a healthy weight, physical activity can improve your immune system and combat feelings of stress. However, you can get too much of a good thing. When you spend too long in the gym or go too often, you put too much stress on your body, leaving you prone to illness and injury. Make sure that you always rest your body after your workouts to get better results from them.
There is a very big difference between being tough and being stubborn. Despite the expectations that society has for men, you don’t need to be reckless with your health to be strong. In fact, the strongest people in the world know to ask for help when they need it.