We live in an era where choice is celebrated as the ultimate freedom. From hundreds of TV channels to customizable everything like phones, cars, even coffee orders. Society tells us more options equal better lives. But psychologist Barry Schwartz challenged this in his 2004 book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, arguing that an overabundance of choices can actually increase anxiety and dissatisfaction (Schwartz, 2004). In his TED Talk, Schwartz explains how too many options force us to become "maximizers," always hunting for the absolute best, which leads to regret and what-if scenarios rather than contentment (Schwartz, 2006).

Have you had weeks and weeks where you’re juggling work, projects, hobbies, social life, exercise, healthy eating, and sleep all while trying not to lose your mind? Sometimes, cloning yourself seems more viable than letting go of tasks to have a balanced life.

Whatever the cause for men’s difficulty in expressing emotions, it is the way that we are socialized which sits at the root (Nordin et al., 2024). Social norms, passed on decade after decade, have shaped the fear and shame associated with being vulnerable, crying and opening up about how we feel (Wagner & Reifegerste, 2024). The problem is, if we refuse to share how we feel with others, we can barely expect them to know if we are truly doing well. Men cannot call for support if we do not communicate. Eventually, this lack of disclosure and the resulting disconnection can leave us stuck by ourselves, isolated from our friends, family and partners, which is place closely linked to loneliness and even increased suicide risk (Bennett et al., 2024).

Many immigrants find themselves in unexpected mental states as a result of the significant differences between the culture of their home country and the culture of the host country. This difficulty is particularly evident in migrations between the Middle East and Europe. In social psychology, these significant differences are referred to as collectivist culture vs. individualist culture. After the initial culture shock caused by this difference, some people may be left with a lingering feeling. A feeling of not belonging.

Let’s talk about Gender Roles and Mental Health: A few years ago, the brother of a close friend of mine committed suicide. He wasn’t even 30. The news was devastating. But what’s even more shocking? The numbers: In 2021, there were around 746,000 suicide deaths worldwide. 519,000 were men, compared to 227,000 women (Weaver, 2025). In other words, 7 out of every 10 people who die by suicide are men. 

April rolls around every year as Stress Awareness Month and it’s like a big, friendly nudge to open up, talk about it and remind each other that we’re in this together. So, let’s dig into why this matters, what’s fueling all this stress, how it sneaks into every corner of our lives and most importantly how we can push back, one small step at a time.