Taking Care of Ourselves: Men's Mental Health at Southwest Equity Partners
"What do you actually do for your mental health?" We asked the men on our team.
This month is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and we wanted to mark it with something a little more honest than a statistic on a slide.
The reality is that men are statistically less likely to talk about their mental health or to ask for help. The cost of that silence is real. Changing it doesn't usually start with a dramatic moment. It starts with normalizing the small, ordinary things people already do to stay okay, and making it safe to say them out loud.
So we asked some of the men on our team a simple question: what do you actually do for your mental health?
Their answers, in the video below, are refreshingly down-to-earth. No grand gestures - just real habits from real people you work with every day.
What struck us is how different the answers were, and how often they came back to the same few things: family, movement, and knowing how to switch off.
- For Rob, it's his dogs and getting out on the water - there's nothing like a surf session to clear your head.
- Rafael protects his time. When he can, he comes in early to work so he can leave early to be there for his family - at the soccer games, at volleyball...for the stuff that doesn't wait.
- Tylor dances, and spends time with his dog. Movement and good company, no overthinking required!
- James keeps it foundational: working out, eating well, and time with family. The basics, done consistently.
- Victor centers around his kids - family time, and coaching his children's team. Being present is the point.
- And Anthony gives himself permission to switch off completely: diving into comic books, putting on a favorite show, and letting the day's noise drain away. Sometimes the healthiest thing is to zone out and let it go.
A few things stood out to us:
- It's not one-size-fits-all. What works for one person may look nothing like what works for the next. And that's the point - there's no single right way to do it.
- The hardest part is often just saying it out loud. Once someone does, it gives everyone else permission to as well.
- Looking after your mental health isn't a sign that something's wrong. It's maintenance, like anything else worth keeping in good shape.
Thank you to Rob, Rafael, Tylor, James, Victor, and Anthony for being open enough to start the conversation. Our hope is that it makes the next person's conversation a little easier.
