Unconventional Stress Busters for the Modern Man

Unconventional Stress Busters for the Modern Man

[00:00:00] In today's episode, we're diving deep into the topics that are rarely discussed, and that is men's mental health, how men can tackle stress and anxiety in ways that go beyond the usual advice. I'm sharing five, unconventional yet highly effective practices that actually work without going to therapy or complex routines because I know not everybody's open to therapy and you've got your hands.

Full, complex routines take too much time. We've all heard the usual trips, tips for managing stress, and honestly, I've been talking about men's mental health for years, and so you've probably heard me talk about meditation, exercise, and journaling. You know, the gym is my therapy for me. I am, I'm a meathead.

Uh, the gym is my therapy. A lot of times I go out and throw around some weights and go, yay, and it makes me feel better. But these are considered go-to methods for coping with anxiety, but a lot of men still struggle to see real results in. Managing their stress, their anxiety, and the mental health damage is [00:01:00] staggering.

But what if I told you the real solutions for managing stress and anxiety as men isn't found in those standard practices necessarily? There's some more unexpected approaches that hit stress at his root, and they might surprise you. You don't say studies and real testimonies from men across the globe have shown that these out the box methods I'm gonna share with you, work faster.

Feel more rewarding and actually tap into the way men uniquely handle stress from cold water immersion to primal screams, these approaches create immediate relief and lasting mineral resilience. So if you're ready to break free from the usual advice that isn't working for you and discover some methods that really work, stay tuned with us.

I'll walk you through each practice and explain exactly why they're tailored for men. So let's just get started. Number one, cold water immersion. The shock that reverses [00:02:00] stress. And guys, I know some of you are cringing right now because you've played with cold water therapy for various things, whether it was for a health thing or for recovery from an injury or from overuse or something like that.

Maybe you tried cold showers as a discipline builder. And let's face it, cold showers kinda suck. Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold. And you might think, this sounds insane, so hear me out. Cold water immersion is actually a very powerful way to tackle stress and anxiety instantly, like legitimately, instantly by jumping into cold water or even just finishing your shower with cold water for two or three minutes.

And I know that is a lot to ask. You're literally shocking your boss into a body, shocking your boss. You're literally shocking your body into a stress response that reduces cortisol levels and it floods your brain [00:03:00] with the feel-good hormones like adrenaline and endorphins. It's science backed men swear by it.

The men who have braided the cold water. I know not all of us like the cold water now to do it. It's really simple, right? I told you these are simple. Effective things aren't gonna take a lot out of your day 'cause I know you already got your hands full To do it. Start by standing in the shower, just like usual.

Guys, at the end of the shower, switch the temperature to as cold as you can. Stand for at least 32nd to a minute. Now, if you've never done this before, you're gonna feel your heart rate spike. Once you step out, there's this burst of energy and calm that follows. That's absolutely incredible. I've actually taught my daughter this trick, and she uses it to help her manage her stress because my 13-year-old, for some reason, wants to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, and so she uses this technique as well as I do.

Some men even offer eye up for iop, for ice [00:04:00] bass or plunges, and you might have that availability. I know not everybody's got a cold tub or lives in a region where you can do that. So you're gonna have to off for the shower. No, like I said, I know that seems like I'm asking a lot. I know so many people are cringing right now.

I already got people just dropping, dropping off the episode Cold. What? Hell no. Right. If you're gonna experiment with this, and I highly recommend that you do because it is a game changer. Like it really actually physically rewires your stress in your body. Here's a tip. Breathe deeply and don't stop breathing.

The first thing you're gonna wanna do when that cold water hits your body is tense up and go to shallow breathing. Don't. Okay. When that cold water hits, focus on deep breaths through the nose, out through the mouth, and focus on trying to relax. If you can just focus on those two things for 30 seconds, you're done.[00:05:00] 

Minutes better. Two minutes. Even better than that. You may have to build up to it, but it instantly actually rewires that stress spike that's in your body. Why does it matter? Well, in a world where we're constantly bombarded by stress, this one practice gives you that immediate reset. Set reset. I can't talk today, gives you that immediate reset.

Like it's instantly like hitting that reset button on the GFI guys. It's not just temporary relief. It's actually a shift that can impact you for hours. It's a tool in your mental toolkit that only takes a couple minutes, but it can transform your day. It can transform your outlook, and it can reset you into a better place mentally for you to move forward for your day.

And that's why it's worth sticking around to see how it fits into the broader picture of mental resilience. And this is super important because you gotta deal with that immediate spike, right? It's like immediate spikes of anger. You gotta deal with that immediate spike and head it off when the [00:06:00] stress starts.

It's super important, but if you don't also couple it with the next point, then the magic gets lost. Because if you really wanna master how to handle stress in the long term, you need to not only look at your immediate physical reset, but you have to look at your mindset specifically and how you view stress itself.

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Welcome to the Driven Thrive broadcast purpose, growth, and lasting impact for men. I'm your host, Brent Allen, and we help men go from living to thriving purpose-filled intentional lives. Now, I know that cold showers may not be your thing, but cold showers are an instant relief in the moment that stalls it out, and that's a physical response that helps your body rewire for the moment, but you have to get into a deeper mindset to start handling stress well.

Which takes us to number two, stoic mindset training, reframing stress through control. Now, you may have heard of stoicism. It is talked about in men circles is a big thing. [00:10:00] There is a big, uh, reinvigoration of this concept. If you feel like anxiety is always controlling you, it's time to take control back with a stoic mindset.

The Stokes taught us something that was utterly profound. Stress comes from focusing on things we can't control. If you flip the script and put your energy into what you can control, you'll instantly feel more powerful and at ease and less anxiety and stress. So take a moment every morning to write down the things that are causing you anxiety and stress.

For each one, ask, can I control this? If the answer is no, let it go. The whole Elsa let it go. No, sorry guys. I have two daughters. It just happens. Focus on your efforts. Focus your efforts on what you can control, actually, your actions, your reactions, your mindset. For example, if you're stressing about work, maybe you got a big project or something, [00:11:00] instead of obsessing over the outcome, focus on how well you prepared and executed the work yourself.

It's all a reframing game because our mind is very strong as long as we're feeding it. One of the biggest questions, right? Can I control this? Can I affect this? Can I do something about this? Guys, those three questions are self qualifying. If the answer is no, go Elsa on it, dude. Just let it go. This mental sh shift is what separates those who live constantly overwhelmed from those who thrive in chaos.

It's a psychological trick that you can absolutely hold onto that gives you a feeling of control in a world that often feels out of control. The way of thinking lays this foundation for long-term mental resilience, and it can be a real game changer on how you handle your stress every day moving forward.[00:12:00] 

So. It's all a mental game. It's, it is. I know I, I'm gonna overexplain this, so I'm just gonna keep moving. So mindset alone isn't enough though, right? We have a instant reset button. We have a mindset shift to start working on, but if you're still holding on that stress inside, it's gonna catch up with you.

And that's where the idea of a primal release comes in. Something powerful that allows you to physically expel all that built up tension. One of my personal favorite options guys goes, I do this. And that's point number three is Primal Scream therapy. Yep. It's exactly what it sounds like. You're gonna yell your stress away.

It might sound a little wild, but screaming is a powerful stress release. I'm not gonna yell on my microphone. Don't worry. This isn't just like venting or be like, ah. Right. Like this is primal blood curling. Scream like just let the rage out. When you scream, your [00:13:00] body releases pin up tension and it helps you reset your nervous system.

It actually reduces cortisol levels. Guys, primal Scream Scream therapy was com popularized, popularized back in the 1970s and it actually. It works. It involves releasing stress by just literally bellowing out your tension. It's been used in psychological practice for decades. This is not new. In fact, it's pretty much forgotten.

A lot of people aren't even aware. This is an actual real thing, and for men, it can feel far more effective than like some kind of quiet meditation, non meditation nonsense. I know they want to put the cork back in the bottle of Genie guys. Men are not necessarily inclined towards meditation. You can learn to do it, but we're inclined to this more primal instinct, so this can be super, super effective.[00:14:00] 

I love it. I use this all the time. So next time you're feeling overwhelmed, find a private place and just let it out. RL set it and let it go. Let it go. Let it go. Turn, yell as loud as you can into a pillow in your car, or even scream to the void nature. I love going out onto like a hill outside of town, away from everybody where there is nobody.

And just let it go, man. Just scream at the top of my lungs. The goal isn't to make noise for the sake of it. Is to break free from the mental pressure and give your body permission to release the stress physically. Why does it work? Well, as men, we often hold our emotions in, we bottle up stress and anxiety until it's overwhelming.

Primal screen therapy actually flips the script on that by giving your body a safe, natural way to express frustration. [00:15:00] It's about releasing instead of holding. It's technique that frees your mind and helps you regain of control in the moment. That's the magic. You don't need to keep the stress. You can just bellow it out.

If you ever saw the Green Mile, think of when John coffee kills somebody and then he just throws his head back and lets that swarm like evil out, right? That's what you're doing guys. That is what you're releasing. You don't know what I'm talking about. Go watch the Green Miles, one of the great movies, all time, great movies.

And once you see that, you'll have that mental image in your head forever, and you'll understand why Primal Scream therapy is so effective. But while mental tricks and emotional releases are crucial, there are times you just need to physically unleash all that Tencent attention. And nothing does that better than going back to our primal nature and putting your aggression to work in a [00:16:00] controlled way.

Is something my father taught me at a very early age because I was a very angry kid. And so my father learned that focusing that in a constructive way was a much safer bet. So let me throw out the idea of heavy bag training for you. Punch your stress away. Now you don't have to be a talented boxer. You don't have to actually have boxing skills to hit a heavy bag when you've got aggression and stress bottled up.

Hitting a heavy bag can be one of the most effective ways to release it. This form of physical aggression allows your body to work through your stresses, flooding you with endorphins relieving emotional tension. It's like channeling all your anxiety into a physical challenge, and it works really, really fast.

If you've never done a heavy bag training, guys, it really does not take a lot of punches before you're like, like just declining quickly. So set up a heavy [00:17:00] bag in your garage, your basement, or even your backyard. We have one in our backyard. Uh, my daughters love the heavy bag and so do I. For this reason, even if you don't know the first thing about boxing, just start punching with all your might for two to three minutes.

The act of hitting something hard will make you feel like you're getting stressed outta your body and out of your mind. For men, this is more than an exercise. It's about active release. Hitting something with force while focusing on your breathing allows your body to release physical, mental tension in a way that no other form of exercise really can.

And trust me, you're going to have to focus on your breathing after the first couple shots. It's a potential reset for your entire system, one that leaves you feeling not just calmer, but more empowered. Now, I, I know there's detractors out there who are gonna be like, no aggression. That's why there are problems with men relieving stress and anxiety is they're trying to get men to woo [00:18:00] saw wooah.

Guys, there's nothing wrong with heading a heavy bag. I find the same stress relief by lifting heavy. I squat heavy, I deadlift heavy, and it takes it all out of me. It's, it's one of the things I love about the gym. For other people. There are other ways of physically getting out, but this is one of the most readily available for a lot of people.

Even if you don't have a heavy bag, you can take a two by six or a two by eight and wrap some cheap foam around it with some duct tape and punch that it works. My dad taught me to do this years ago. It has helped keep me from being stupid. Through the entirety of my life, guys. Now, if you're someone who needs a little bit more of an escape, maybe something a little less intense, but just as effective, then this next technique might be your perfect match, and that's immersive gaming, finding peace in a virtual world.

Now, if you've been on the show [00:19:00] before, you know I have some reservations about gaming, but I do know that one of the big benefits for men. Immersive gaming when it comes to stress relief, and it might seem surprising, especially coming outta me, video games can actually reduce stress, not just for fun, but like real therapeutic benefits.

There's been research on this. Gaming helps your brain enter a flow state where you're so engaged in the task at hand. That anxiety fades out into the background. This can significantly improve your mood, especially in high stress situations. Pick a game that you enjoy, whether it's an action pack, adventure, or something more relaxing like a strategy or puzzle game.

The key is choosing something that requires your full attention, allowing you to disconnect from your worries. For instance, playing a game like The Legend of Zelda or Minecraft. I was a World of Warcraft guy or Diablo three guy, Diablo four. It can create moments where your mind is totally absorbed [00:20:00] and it leaves the stress behind.

Why does this actually work? Like I said, there's been research. Gaming offers a form of escapism, but it's not a passive escape, which is where men and women differ. It's not a passive escape. It's an active, immersive experience that recharges your mind. It allows you to leave that stress behind and focus on accomplishing goals in a control environment while leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and calm once you step out.

It's a smart way. Smart solo way to use the digital world to reset your mineral state. Now, I do have to warn you on this guys, from my own experience, because this was a go-to for me for a long time, and as I mentioned, this is an oddity for me to even bring this up because I was gaming addicted and there are a lot of young men who are gaming addicted.

There is nothing wrong with gaming, it's just like anything else. There's a too much level, there's [00:21:00] too much where it takes over. And for some men, this escapism into an immersive experience where you can actually feel accomplished without accomplishing anything, can actually sidetrack you really quickly if you aren't careful with how often you use this or if you let yourself get too sucked into it.

So you have to be smart about this, but you have to be smart about any kind of therapy or any kind of. Escapism because it's really easy to stay in the game and not come back to reality. So there you go, guys. Five unconventional practices to beat stress and anxiety that go a little outside. The typical advice, I'm curious which one of these you're gonna try first.

Let me know in the comments below. I'd love to get some feedback on this. Are you gonna try one of these? Are you gonna try all of these? Which one sounds most interesting to you? Which one do you think is gonna be most effective? I tell you, [00:22:00] the Cuda Gras is actually mastering all five together. Don't forget to hit that like button, guys, if you want more deep dives into practical tips that actually work like this.

Until next time, stay strong, stay in control, and be better tomorrow because what you do today, we'll see you on the next one. The Driven to Thrive broadcast purpose, growth, and lasting impact for men, helping men go from living to thriving. Purpose-filled intentional lives. Affiliate disclaimer, MyPillow, like any other source cycles, promos because of the extended lifecycle of a podcast.

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