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Many of us struggle with criticizing, belittling, and judging ourselves. We’ll tell ourselves negative stories like “I’m stupid”, “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t deserve them”. But does our negative self-talk truly serve us and our communities in our journey toward equity? Does trashing ourselves lend itself well to belonging, connection, or taking an active role in improving our communities? Probably not — so what’s the alternative?
Read MoreEmotional literacy is something we’ve been learning a lot more about over the past few months here at Next Gen Men.
So what is emotional literacy, and how might it benefit men? Additionally, how might men help others by levelling up their emotional literacy skills? Let’s get into it!
Read MoreImagine building a deck and all you had was a hammer.
It’d be a pretty wonky-looking thing since you weren’t able to cut the boards, sand them, or all of the other myriad things needed to bring it together.
It sure would be great if you had more tools…
What if that hammer you’re holding represents an emotion? And that one emotion that you’re given to solve the complex situations life throws at you is anger?
When all you’ve got is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail.
Read More“Do you reach out to people?” I ask him. “Sometimes,” he replies, “but I know people are busy and I don’t want to bother them”.
Part of his feeling lonely is also his desire to not feel like a burden. So many men are socialized to believe that they shouldn’t need anyone, that they should be tough, strong, and independent.
That’s not how we’re wired though.
Humans — regardless of gender — are wired for connection.
Read MoreTo support the ongoing work of engaging men & boys in gender justice, Next Gen Men is excited to share a new phase of our work supported by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE).
We’ve set out to establish a regional network inviting new stakeholders to engage the men & boys in their spaces in the advancement of gender equity and the prevention of gender-based violence.
We are calling this initiative Pathways For Engaging Men & Boys in Gender Justice (Pathways for short).
Read MoreWhen I asked my friend Jon whether or not the messages he’d received about how to “be a man” had impacted the amount of happiness and joy he had felt throughout his life, his simple answer was “yes”. Throughout our conversation, two major themes emerged: 1) the feeling of “never being good enough” and 2) struggles in relationships.
And boy, oh boy. We could write a lot about how patriarchal masculinity impacts men’s chances at healthy, loving, close, relationships with their friends, families, and partners.
Let’s get into it.
Read More“Do you think being a man affects the amount of joy you feel in your life?”
I asked my friend this question. I was curious if the messages he’d received about how to “be a man” — things like being tough, self-reliant, dominant, aggressive, status-seeking, etc. — had impacted how happy he had been in his life.
Throughout our conversation, these two themes stuck out most: 1) feelings of “never being good enough” and 2) struggles with relationships.
Read MoreIf you’ve been paying attention to Next Gen Men for a while, then you know we love to read (cue Jake telling you about BOOK Club ad infinitum) — but we also love to watch documentaries and movies!
Here are eight documentaries about patriarchy, masculinity, gender equity, and change that we’ve seen (plus one that we are patiently waiting to see). Some focus on violence, others on mental health and relationships; some zoom in on the personal, while others zoom out on the political. We promise they’ll have you fired up either way.
Read MoreSupporting a friend through a breakup can be tough, but you can help your friend heal AND strengthen your friendship if you can be there for them. Here are our suggestions for how you can support your friend to move forward in a healthy way after a romantic relationship ends.
Read MoreReal growth, the kind of growth that changes you from a boy to a man, doesn’t happen in isolation from others—it happens primarily through and within our relationships with those who know us best. The question, then, is less about when you become a man, but with whom you become a man.
Read MoreDid you know that Next Gen Men has a whole calendar filled with events that YOU CAN JOIN?! We host many different kinds of events for adults who are interested in conversations about patriarchy, masculinity, and gender equity. Learn about the events and how to join the conversations!
Read MoreIn our last article, we left off with booking an initial consultation with a therapist – but what should you expect when you actually go to your initial consultation?
What about your first real therapy appointment? What will that be like, and how can you best prepare for it?
Let us walk you through both!
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