Mental Health for Men: The Box
The other day, I was relaxing and watching Netflix. I looked at what’s hot right now and low and behold, there is a documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger called Arnold. He’s the bodybuilder, superstar, and former Governator of California. I started to watch it. In S1E2, Arnold discusses a common trait that I see men do all the time. In this blog, I’ll be discussing emotions and the box.
Emotions and Men’s Mental Health
Spoiler alert. In S1E2, Arnold discusses what he does with his emotions when his brother and father die. Arnold is hyper-focused on one of his goals. He says that he doesn’t let the things around him, or his emotions, bother him when he is trying to achieve. What Arnold does is he pushes those emotions out of his mind. I call this putting emotions in the box. He has to stay focused because he knows there are always issues in life. If he lets this issue bother him, he may not achieve what he wants. 100% common with men.
What happens next with many men is when they put their emotions into a box, they never open that box to process their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The only time the box is opened is when they want to put more of their emotions and feelings into that box. The box fills and fills until one day, it can’t fit any more emotions and feelings. These emotions and feelings start to spill out. The box can even explode. Petty issues spark rage. Anger, shouting, and yelling become commonplace. The person is feeling irritated nonstop. Their relationships go down the crapper. Productivity and job satisfaction flatlines. Their Day-to-day quality of life just sucks.
Address your Mental Health
The box is not good or bad. There is a time and place for using the box. Use the box as a tool. It’s used as a placeholder for emotions and feelings. The issue is the fact that people do not unbox their emotions and feelings. They do not process the experience. If you’ve read my previous blogs, there is no good or bad emotion. The emotion is your body and mind telling you that something is going on right now. Pay attention to what your body and mind is telling you. Sure, feel free to put those emotions into the box but be 100% certain you will address it soon. You could process the experience by yourself, talk it over with a trusted friend or family member, journal about it (read about journaling here and here), or you can work with a professional. Process your experiences and emotions. Use the box when it is appropriate.
Get Mental Health Treatment for Men
Don’t wait. Put in the work now. Address your mental health with therapy with Chris Rabanera. Take the first steps with a free 15-minute consultation. I offer online therapy in California, Michigan, Nebraska, and Las Vegas. As an experienced therapist, I specialize in physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, and depression. I also provide tailored mental health treatment for men.
