Faire de la place aux soins : ce que cela signifie pour les hommes sur le campus

As I finish up finals, marking the end of my freshman year of college, I find self-care more important than ever, as emotions and stress levels run high. I attend Stanford University, a school that is infamously rampant with “duck syndrome,” where everyone appears to be excelling – as a duck sits on water – but in reality is furiously paddling its legs under the surface. So, on top of the academic stress, the psychological toll of assuming, “I’m the only one grinding away while everyone else is gliding past me” was all the more taxing.

Turns out that my experience is pretty universal—our emotional health is aggravated by isolation. Most of us don’t know how to manage our mental health, especially guys.

As the founder of Talk With Zach, a Gen Z wellness platform geared towards young men, I’m hyper-aware of how guys around me are thinking and feeling. I find that the most stifling problem with men’s mental health is that we rarely open up. Our motto is “We can’t change what we don’t talk about,” and during men’s mental health month, this is especially crucial.

Sadly, most of us aren’t taught how to manage our emotional health, and existing resources don’t arm college students with the tools we need to be emotionally fluent. We need to learn how to foster everyday support among our peers, creating a network of care.

College Can Be a Hard Place to Ask for Help

Traditional masculinity rejects weakness, making it hard for us to reach out for help or admit we’re having a difficult time. Instead, we strive to appear stoic, calm, and collected at all times, which is not only unrealistic, but detrimental to our well-being.

Growing up, we often hear phrases like “man up” or “boys don’t cry.” Sure, it builds resilience to walk off a fall while playing football, but it becomes problematic when guys do this simply to appear tough. When we’re told we can’t cry, we stunt our emotional maturity, and have a harder time processing these feelings later on.

This attitude is heightened during college, when we’re experiencing the biggest transitional period of our lives–moving from the comfort of our childhood homes into the real world. For the first time, we’re truly independent, and with that comes pressure to act like the stereotypes  of men we get from adults and cultural norms.

Care Is Already Happening—We Just Don’t Always Call It That

Guys are quick to avoid appearing overly sentimental, but in reality we are practicing care with each other and sharing emotions more than we think. Whether we’re checking in on someone who’s quieter than usual, listening to a friend vent about a rough day, or hear about a recent breakup, we’re already supporting our peers. So why not do more?

These aren’t just nice gestures–they’re acts of real, meaningful care. We need to start calling them as such. When we normalize these interactions, we create a culture where caring for each other isn’t extraordinary–it’s a basic form of connection.I’ve noticed that many young people don’t know exactly how to act in emotionally vulnerable moments, but the more we have, the more comfortable we’ll feel.

Building a Culture Where Care Feels Normal

Receiving care is equally important as providing it, and often seems quite daunting. Reaching out for help isn’t shameful or weak. In my experience, only the strongest, most secure people I know feel confident enough to do this. Learn to talk about a rough patch you’re going through, say you feel burnt out, or even seek professional services. Some of the most powerful moments I’ve had on Talk With Zach are when guys finally open up.

Luckily, Gen Z is starting to have conversations about wellness. By having deeper conversations, finding power in community, and being a listener, our generation becomes mentally sturdier.

Colleges Role in Helping Students 

College campuses have robust mental health resources, but students don’t always find them. By marketing emotional health as regular wellness that everyone deals with rather than serious illness, students will be more willing to take advantage of these services.

I also urge campuses to create forums for dialogue and conversation, where people feel comfortable being themselves and opening up.

As I look ahead to my three remaining years of college and beyond, I know that changing the mental health landscape won’t happen overnight. But I know I don’t have to have it all figured out. By showing up for myself and my peers, simply leading by example is enough to make an impact in my community. That’s what care looks like.

Zach Gottlieb, Founder of Talk With Zach

At Equimundo, our Make Room for Care campaign is shining a light on the critical role care plays in men’s health and wellbeing. It’s time to leave behind the narrow scripts of manhood that keep men silent and sick – and make space for new ways of being: where asking for help is brave, showing emotion is strong, and caring for yourself and others is part of what it means to be a man.

Rejoignez-nous.

Suivre et partagez la campagne #MakeRoomForCare, explorez les ressources et aidez-nous à diffuser le message selon lequel les soins ne font pas seulement partie de la solution, mais en sont le cœur.

Parce que lorsque nous faisons de la place aux soins, nous faisons de la place à des hommes en meilleure santé, à des familles plus fortes et à un monde plus connecté.