Ep 2 | Mental fitness | Can men biohack their brains?

[Content warning: This episode mentions mental health, suicide and suicide ideation.]

Join us for season 3 of It Can't Hurt To Ask to take a deep dive into your men's health questions and concerns.

This episode, we're tackling the big topic of men's mental health. We're working out our brains with experts, Mental Health Acute Inpatient Service (MHAIS) Clinical Nurse, Sam, and MHAIS Senior Exercise Physiologist, Matt, who'll take us through what mental fitness looks like for men, how your body reacts to mental stress, and how to build resilience and regulate your nervous system.

You'll also hear from Queensland men, Glenn and Kai, who share their experiences and struggles with managing their mental wellbeing.

We'll be diving into how your body responds when your fight or flight response is constantly activated, and how you can stop that cycle in its tracks. This episode also explores what factors influence your mental health, in both positive and negative ways, such as lifestyle choices and social influence (hello, social media).

What does good mental health look like? What are the signs of poor mental health in men? How does the 'Aussie bloke' stereotype influence male mental health? Why do so many men go undiagnosed? When is it time to get help? Where can you get help? Listen to find out.

If you'd like to learn more about men's health, we have a whole season lined up. Make sure you listen to our next episode, where we explore optimising male sexual function and health.

Please leave us a review—we'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you are listening to this podcast and need help, this is your sign to seek it. Explore the episode resources provided below for more support.

Episode Resources: 

TIPP

The TIPP method is a stress and emotional regulation technique, discussed in this episode. It works by hacking your body's physiological responses through four components: temperature (creating sudden temperature change), intensity (doing short but intense bursts of physical activity), paced breathing (slowing the breath), and paired muscle relaxation (focused tensing and relaxing of your muscles to regulate the nervous system).

Meditation and breathing exercises - Mind/Land

When your nervous system is overwhelmed, paced breathing can be a helpful activity to calm it. This can be in the form of breathing exercises, meditation or simply listening to relaxing sounds.

Take a break to connect with your mind with Mind/Land by Queensland Health. This podcast series is an icebreaker into the world of meditation, featuring the soothing sounds of the Noosa Everglades, Maleny Rainforest and more iconic South East Queensland locations. Choose from 1-minute guided meditations to hour long recordings of pure nature to try your hand at meditation.

Mental health first aid

First aid isn't only for physical injuries; it includes mental health too. Mental health first aid training provides participants with the skills to recognise and respond to someone experiencing mental health challenges, until they can seek professional help. Learn more about how to become certified through Mental Health First Aid.

Emergency mental health care

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.

If you feel that you may be in need of mental health support and have never accessed a mental health service before, our mental health access line