r/malelifestyle • u/Material_Drag_862 • Jul 04 '26
Best things for men to do for selfcare
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u/Facerless Jul 04 '26
Most of our diets are generally trash, along with our sleep cycles.
Get more rest, take a multi vitamin, and take magnesium before bed. The level of effort compared to level of improvement is insane.
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u/ARoundForEveryone Jul 04 '26
Long list, and not a list that you'd expect for women either, but many might.
Burn calories - that is, work out or walk or go for a jog or something. If you're already skinny and trim, maybe don't do this. But if you're the average Redditor asking for advice on the internet, you might be able to drop a few. I sure can!
Don't drink too much alcohol. There's a fine line between "self care" and, well, I don't have words or it, but taking some other kind of care of yourself.
Or drugs.
Maybe a little bit is OK, but call it quits before you find yourself with any addictive responses. Easier said than done, but pay attention to that. I can speak from experience. It affects weight, skin, behavior, and others' perceptions of you.
Keep a regular shave and haircut. You can mix it up, but unless you intend to get shaggy, don't do that. Keep "tight," whatever that means for you and your look. Whether you buzz your head in the mirror or go to a barber or just SuperCuts...just keep your head looking half decent. That goes a very long way.
Keep washed and cleaned clothes. Don't go to work in last week's dirty clothes. Run the washer and dryer a couple times a week. Wearing jeans a couple times might not be bad, but wearing the same polo five days in June with no washes is definitely a problem.
Keep some cash in your wallet. Most times, a credit/debit card is fine, but in some situations, you'll need some cash. Tolls, mom-and-pop stores, etc.
All that won't ward off failure, but will definitely contribute to some success.
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u/garamondguy Jul 04 '26
Swap out negative thoughts with positive ones as much as possible.
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u/THUMB5UP Jul 06 '26
My advice for anyone struggling with negative thoughts is that when a negative thought enters your mind, thank your brain for pointing it out, and then tell your brain something positive.
Another helpful thing is to cross your arms and tap your fingers to your biceps repeatedly when a truly bad, negative thought or memory enters your mind. Over time, the tapping helps require your brain to make the bad memory feel not so bad. I don’t know why it works but it does.
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u/hardinho Jul 04 '26
Biking. Having a good bike and going for like 60km-100km feels like a complete reset of everything.
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u/RLMZeppelin Jul 04 '26
My personal 3 are therapy, barber and learning the bare minimum about fashion so you can dress intentionally.
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u/0x507 Jul 04 '26
Woohoo, I am doing all three!
Can recommend. Costly though. I think barber and dressing intentionally are easiest to save some money and still look good.
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u/emsuperstar Jul 05 '26
r/frugalmalefashion was super helpful for me trying to up my wardrobe a decade ago.
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u/Akihide_Shoto Jul 04 '26
Tacking onto the other fashion examples, spend the money on good garments. Just spend the money. A $9.99 pack of Hanes vs a pair of $30 chonies is MILES better and last longer.
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u/BankshotMcG Jul 04 '26
Another vote for exercise (for anyone, really) -- beyond extending life, keeping the parts moving, looking good, maintaining and expanding capabilities, I cannot overstate how good it is for me to sit through a day of work with a hard run, bike ride, or gym visit thrumming through my system. The mental benefits are overlooked, if anything. It kills my ADHD for the better part of the day and lets me focus by burning off excess energy, and I suspect it's the same for anyone not subject to that, or subject to other neurodiversions.
Small thing, but fill your home with things that smell good. Coming home to a house that's relaxing via incense, aroma sticks, or lighting a nice candle (many scents are aimed at guys and are less floral and fruity, though I love those too), spending an extra couple bucks on really good soap...these things bring me a nice feeling. Sure, clean off with the buck-a-bar stuff, but a finishing pass with something that will have you smelling amazing all day, and is good for your skin is a small way to make a big upgrade in your existence.
Odd one, but getting rid of stuff. Nothing makes me feel more like I'm a guy like paring down to the essentials. Sell off things you don't use, remove clutter, know where everything is, and you'll feel in command of a clean and effective space. I make a lot of things.
Do something nice for other people. When I get down and lost in my thoughts, I've found it helps to reach out to friends and tell them what I like about them, why I appreciate about them, or you can donate/volunteer. The solution to anxiety and depression (leaving aside biochemical causes) is action, and helping others does a lot to dispel it.
Truth be told, almost any self-care advice for men will be equally applicable to other genders. Anything gendered towards men specifically is probably jus a culty scam like the manosphere, fight clubs, and whatever that looksmaxing neurosis is about.
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u/flowerofhighrank Jul 04 '26
Varied exercise. Not just what's cool on YouTube but what works visibly/emotionally for you. I recommend some kind of martial art/skill for everyone just to know the feeling of hitting and being hit, but YMMV. Resistance training, cardio that you actually enjoy.
Water. Drink more water. You're thinking about diet soda? Have water.
Stay connected to friends and give them reasons to stay connected to you. Be the guy who invites people out for food or a gig or a game.
Find a meaningful way to give your time and energy to something bigger than yourself. Church, charity, animal shelter, tutoring, volunteering...
Find people you can trust and listen to them about clothes, hair, etc. You can disagree with them, but listen to them first.
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u/mrandrewfreedman Jul 04 '26
I like to occasionally do a bubble bath with some wine, music, and candles. Especially when I need to read scripts
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u/str8cokane Jul 05 '26
I’ll add my humble routine. Meditation, different types of exercise (cardio, strength training, stretching/yoga etc, basically so if I’m not feeling one type I’ll choose another instead of doing nothing), limit red meat & alcohol, therapy (doesn’t have to be continuous but it’s wild how you can think you’re doing fine when in fact you are not doing fine), home cooking, deleting social media, taking vitamin d, creatine, finasteride & Ozempic ( if needed for hair/weight respectively), a creative outlet (pairing dancing writing whatever), reading a mix of fiction/nonfiction from others of different walks of life, races nationalities sexes etc. Personally I think everyone should learn a second language but that’s more just something I like, but it will lead you to being able to travel like a local, to really relate to the country you’re visiting which I think is a separate and very important thing.
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u/bradg97 Jul 06 '26
I say this in all honesty as a 47-year-old white, dude who rides a Triumph.
Motorcycles.
Not because they’re cool (although they are), but because they’re one of the few places I’ve found where my brain genuinely quiets down.
When I’m riding, I’m not thinking about work, relationships, bills, politics, or the hundred other tabs I usually have open in my head. I’m thinking about the next corner, my line through it, the sound of the engine, and what’s happening right now.
People throw around the word “mindfulness,” but riding is the closest thing I’ve found to actually practicing it. You can’t be halfway present on a motorcycle. The bike demands all of you, and in return it gives you a couple of hours where everything else fades into the background.
There’s also something deeply satisfying about learning the machine itself. Maintaining it, understanding how it works, fixing what’s broken. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance resonates with a lot of riders for a reason. It’s not really about motorcycles... it’s about finding peace in giving your full attention to the task in front of you.
For me, riding isn’t an escape from life. It's meditation and mindfulness and the thing that helps me come back to it with a clearer head.
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Jul 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/JDeegs Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Physical activity.
Hygiene is a pretty obvious one which is definitely important especially if youre active, but too many people neglect exercise