Men are Facing Loneliness Epidemic Relationship development experts explain why men today have no friends—and how to fix it.
Research shows that modern men are experiencing a loneliness epidemic. In particular, heterosexual men have fewer friends than any other demographic, and even when they do have friendships, they are not profoundly supportive or emotionally intimate relationships.
“Research shows that most men only have one confidante, and three-quarters of the time, that confidant is a woman and generally their significant other,” says relationship development expert AJ Harbinger, who hosts popular lifestyle podcast The Art of Charm with Johnny Dzubak. “It is clear that men today are struggling to connect with other men, and this has a negative impact on everything from their physical to their emotional health.”
Dzubak agrees and points to research that says loneliness is the biggest threat to middle-aged men’s health, even beating out factors like smoking and obesity. “Not having friends isn’t just a bummer on Friday night,” says Dzubak. “It can actually decrease the length of a man’s life, not to mention decrease their quality of life.”
So how can men connect with other men and create those supportive, life-enhancing bonds that seem to come so naturally to women? “There is no denying that women are more gifted at social-building blocks like empathy, openness and the ability to express emotion,” says Harbinger. “But this isn’t because men don’t have those skills. It’s just that we never learned how to access this ability because we are afraid of seeming ‘weak’ or emasculated. “Dzubak says men are never going to be able to create lasting, intimate friendships with other men if they don’t first tackle that deep-seated sexism and instead allow themselves to be vulnerable and open.
“The first step in curing male loneliness is removing the stigma around male friendship,” says Dzubak. “As long as men are afraid that needing friendship makes them less of a man somehow, they are never going to allow themselves to address their need for connection.”
Harbinger says that men also have to realize that women aren’t naturally born with a set of close friends. “Women invest in their friendships,” says Harbinger. “They put the time in. They focus on their communication, they reach out on friends’ birthdays, they send emails checking in, they clear their schedules and offer emotional support when one of them has a bad day. These are all things that men need to learn. We need to think of our friendships the same way we think of any other investment, whether it’s building a six-pack at the gym or growing our investment portfolio.”
“You aren’t going to see any returns if you don’t put the time in,” says Dzubak.
DRY BRUSHING The action of dry brushing for exfoliating dry skin helps detoxify you by increasing blood circulation and unclogging pores in the process. It also invigorates the nervous system and can make you feel energized.
Use a natural bristled shower brush, preferably with a long handle, so you reach your back. Dry brush before you shower and start from the feet and work your way upward in long strokes and circular motions. Wash off any dry and dead skin in the shower and apply body lotion after your shower to moisturize your skin.
The best time to dry brush is just before a shower. Then you can wash off any dead skin cells and flaky skin. Be sure to apply lotion afterward to put moisture back into your skin.
Impossible Burgers Aren’t Healthy? Just because Beyond Meat and Impossible burgers are plant-based and maybe better for the environment doesn’t make them healthy for you. Most of the time when you eat out the food is not good for you, and it contains more calories and fat, so why is a big surprise that these plant-based burgers that are made to mimic the texture and flavor of beef hamburgers aren’t that healthy or good for you? We’re unsure, but there will be studies coming soon confirming just that.
ZANTAC AND CANCER On September 13, both the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency published their decisions to review the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in medicines containing the drug ranitidine. NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen (a substance that could cause cancer) on the basis of animal studies. Health authorities say there is no immediate risk, but advised to consult a doctor who can prescribe alternatives to ranitidine.