A truth that is often left unspoken when it comes to men’s mental health, for many men, the idea of having emotions, let alone expressing them, was never part of the conversation growing up.
Many of us were raised on that model of stoicism and silent strength, and in some ways, it made sense. Generations that lived through wars, poverty, or emotional scarcity had no space for vulnerability. And yet, times are changing. Slowly, imperfectly, but undeniably. We are seeing a cultural shift—one that invites men to not only carry the weight of responsibility but also explore and experience the landscape of their inner lives.
But here’s the catch: while times are changing, the old templates of masculinity remain deeply imprinted. Stoicism is still rewarded. Vulnerability is still misunderstood. The unspoken rule still lingers: don’t feel too much, don’t talk too much, don’t need too much.
So what happens to all those disowned and unspoken feelings? Where does the grief go? The loneliness? The quiet desire to be known without being judged?
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These questions bring us to the heart of a long-overdue conversation about Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
Men’s Mental Health Matters
A culture that truly values men’s mental health teaches boys, from an early age, that their emotions are not burdens, but signals. That vulnerability is not a liability, but a doorway to connection. That they are not alone—and never have to be.
They might not even describe themselves as “emotional” but the symptoms of emotional suppression are there:
- Quick anger or frustration that seems to come out of nowhere
- Feeling numb or disconnected from life and relationships
- Struggling with stress, anxiety or depression that’s hard to name or talk about
- A constant need to “power through,” even when exhausted
When we talk about supporting men’s mental health, here’s the truth: feeling emotions is not about being weak; it’s about being real. 
Why Feeling Emotions Makes You Stronger
When we speak of men’s mental health, we’re not just speaking about symptoms—we are speaking about stories. Stories passed down from father to son, reinforced by culture, held silently in the body. The story that says strength means silence. That composure is control. That feeling is a threat.
But something is shifting. The old script is loosening its grip—not because it was all wrong, but because it’s incomplete. Strength today looks different. It still includes grit and responsibility, yes. But now, it also asks for presence, emotional honesty, and courage to be seen in your accomplishments and humanity.
When your body is in pain, ignoring it doesn’t make you stronger. It makes the injury worse. The same is true for your inner world. Suppressed anger doesn’t disappear—it festers. Buried sadness becomes fatigue, withdrawal, or a quiet hopelessness you can’t quite name. Avoided fear hardens into tension that never truly lets go.
To feel is not to unravel. It is to pay attention. It is to say: Something inside me matters, and I am listening. That kind of awareness doesn’t make you fragile. It makes you discerning. It gives you choices. Instead of reacting to pressure you never acknowledged, you respond with clarity and intention.
That is strength, not the absence of emotion, but the capacity to hold it with depth and integrity.
That’s emotional intelligence.
What Having Permission to Feel Can Look Like
This is not about men spilling their innermost thoughts to everyone they encounter—unless that feels right. And it certainly is not about becoming less strong or less capable.
It is about a man reclaiming his inner life—becoming more attuned to himself, more true to his emotional world, and more anchored in presence.
It’s about depth, not drama. Connection, not collapse. Strength with softness.
Permitting to feel might look like:
- Naming what you’re going through instead of pretending you’re fine
- Learning how to process emotions without self-judgment or shame
- Listening to and understanding your own needs
- Listening to and understanding the needs of others
- Being kinder to yourself and others when things are hard
- Allowing yourself to receive support
- Providing care and emotional support to others
- Feeling proud when you make a positive difference by expressing care, gratitude or vulnerability, even in small ways
It’s about becoming more yourself, genuine, alive, and able to connect in ways that truly matter.
This kind of emotional awareness doesn’t make you weaker. It makes you more grounded, more thoughtful, and more able to show up fully in your life.
It’s about rounding out your strength, not replacing it. It’s also about supporting other men’s mental health in the process.
What Are the Mental Health Benefits of Feeling for Men?
Some men worry, “If I start feeling, I won’t be able to stop.”
“What if everything I’ve ignored for years suddenly hits me?”
“What if it’s too much to handle?”
These are understandable fears, especially if you’ve kept things in for a long time. But here’s the truth: feeling emotions doesn’t mean losing control. It means learning to notice and work with them in a steady, manageable way. There is no need to do everything at once, and do it alone.
Learning to connect and to communicate your feelings can lead to real, lasting benefits that go far beyond just “getting by.” Here are some of the reasons it’s worth it:
- Fewer Emotional Outbursts. Emotions that stay buried do not go anywhere and tend to come out sideways. Recognising what’s really going on—whether it’s stress, fear, or hurt—can lower the chances of sudden outbursts and help you respond more calmly.
- Improved Mental Health. Naming and working through emotions can lift the weight they carry. This helps reduce anxiety, ease depression, and bring clarity to your thinking.
- Clarity About What You Want. Emotions are information. They help you understand what matters to you and what doesn’t. The more you allow yourself to feel, the clearer your path becomes—whether in relationships, career, or personal goals.
- More Happiness and Fulfilment. When you stop pushing your emotions down, you create space for joy, meaning, and peace. You feel more alive, more connected, and more in tune with what actually makes you happy.
- Deeper Relationships. When you are honest about what you feel, people respond. It builds trust and emotional closeness. You don’t need to share everything with everyone, but the ability to connect emotionally strengthens every relationship in your life.
- Greater Resilience and Inner Peace. When emotions aren’t stuffed down or ignored, they lose their power to control you. You begin to feel lighter, calmer, and more balanced. Feeling helps you bounce back more quickly from challenges. You learn to face discomfort without letting it take you down.
- Confidence and Self-Respect. There’s strength in knowing yourself. When you learn how to process emotions instead of running from them, you build self-trust. You start to feel more grounded in who you are and how you show up in the world.
- Better Decision-Making. Emotional awareness sharpens your thinking. You become less reactive and more intentional. You’re able to make decisions that align with your values, not just your habits or fears.
- Better Physical Health. Suppressing emotions creates stress in the body. Over time, this can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, poor sleep, and fatigue. Processing emotions supports both mental and physical health.
Your emotions are not here to undo you. When you allow yourself to feel, you don’t fall apart—you come into fuller contact with who you truly are: more grounded, more whole, more vibrantly alive than you ever imagined.
What Does it Mean to Have Strength as a Man Today?
To support men’s mental health, this is an important question. Today, being a strong man might still mean showing up, providing, and protecting, but it can also mean feeling. It can mean emotional intelligence, attunement, courage in the face of intimacy, and the strength to be both soft and solid.
And if you are raising sons, mentoring others, or striving to be a more present partner or friend, know this:
Your willingness to grow emotionally does not diminish your masculinity. It deepens it.
You are not abandoning strength—you are expanding it.
Showing up with empathy, accountability, and presence is not weakness. It’s the evolution of strength. One that includes the heart.
Do Men Have Permission to Feel?
The question isn’t whether men can feel. The question is whether they believe they’re allowed to. And the answer is yes.
Not just permission—you have a right to feel. To be human. To feel fully, deeply, and honestly. Not as a betrayal of strength, but as a deepening of it.
For some, especially those who grew up in a time when emotions were tucked away behind duty and control, this can feel unfamiliar—even risky. You were taught to protect, to provide, to endure. There was little room for vulnerability, because survival didn’t ask for tenderness—it demanded stoicism.
But we live in a different time now. And for younger generations, the landscape is shifting. Emotional fluency is becoming part of the conversation. And yet, even they carry the legacy of emotional silence, passed down in subtle ways: “Don’t cry.” “Don’t be soft.” “Don’t let it show.”
Across the generations, the unspoken message has been the same: feeling is dangerous. But what if feeling isn’t the danger? What if not feeling is?
Giving yourself space to feel doesn’t make you fragile—it makes you real. It gives you access to calm instead of chaos, connection instead of confusion. When you understand your emotions, you can navigate your relationships more clearly. You can speak instead of shutting down. You can hold space for others without losing yourself.
Whether you’re a partner, a father, a son, a friend—your ability to feel shapes the emotional tone of every room you’re in.
This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more fully yourself. More grounded. More relational. More alive.
When men are supported in their emotional lives, we see healthier individuals, stronger families, deeper friendships, and a more compassionate culture.
Men’s mental health is not a side conversation.
It’s central to how we live, love, and lead.
Therapy for Men’s Mental Health: You’re Not Alone
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yeah, but I wouldn’t even know where to start,” you’re not alone.
At Leone Centre, we have a team of experienced therapists who are available for sessions both online and in person in London.
- About the Author
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Co-founder and director of Leone Centre, 20+ years of experience supporting people, and offering valuable knowledge through Couples Counselling and Individual Counselling. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the financial sector.
