
Men are increasingly accustomed to messages about looking after their physical wellbeing through actions such as regular exercise, healthy food intake and other aspects of health for the body.
There are also established programs for managing mental health focusing on depression, stress, anger and other manifestations of mental health issues.
There has however been much less debate about the fine line between appropriate health actions and excessively pursuing those actions. One example of this is 'Bigorexia' where the focus on healthy physical status goes too far and creates issues around male body image.
Campaign Resources From Reachout.com
Partially in response to this issue, Reachout.com has produced a collation of resources that use this idea of 'strengths' as an engaging way to encourage individuals to find and remember what they are good at. In promoting approaches that capitalise on the positive traits that a man brings, they aim to reduce the need for unhealthy and excessive focus on purely physical traits.
Resources Available
Factsheet: What Are Your Strengths - 308 KB
Use this resource to help someone work through uncovering their own talents, strengths and values.
- The Happiness Institute: Checklist for Working Out Your Strengths
Dr Martin Seligman's checklist for understanding personal values and important traits.