Usually I’m not a huge fan of most modern self-help type literature however when Regan released his book the Man’s Guide To Wellbeing I knew it wasn’t going to be just another self-help book filled with woo woo nonsense but no practical application. For those that don’t know Regan runs the website Refined Mindset where he blogs about overcoming depression, anxiety, and other illnesses of the mind. Regan has a deep knowledge on the subject and offers very practical advice.
In Man’s Guide To Wellbeing Regan lays out everything that he knows about overcoming depression and living a good life in this book. It’s a monster coming in at 55,000 words. However it’s light on fluff and heavy on content and even for a subject that doesn’t interest me personally as much as others still kept me engaged. So let’s dive into Man’s Guide To Well-Being and what you can take from this book.
Part 1 – Personal Growth
Regan divides this book into 4 sections each covering a different topic and each a pillar of total wellness. The first pillar or part is personal growth. In this section Regan breaks down the essentials of personal growth and getting your life headed in the right direction. He starts out by talking about persona responsibility (something you’ll find missing from most books of this type) and how you need to take responsibility for where you’re at in life regardless of how much it currently sucks.
Like me Regan subscribes to the philosophy that man must keep moving forward and growing. He must commit to himself and keep working on developing himself to the next level, there is no staying still there is decaying or growing. Regan also breaks down habit swapping and how to change out bad habits for good and how life changing this can be (after all your life is made up of that things you do every day). He also talks about developing a growth mindset and many other important facets of self development. Like I said a big departure from most depression books that are about whining and blaming.
Part 2 – Mental Fortitude
Next Regan talks about another important facet of wellbeing and that’s mental fortitude. Essentially if you’re soft (including in the mind) the world is going to push you around and in order to stand on your own two feet and beat depression (or anything else) you’re going to have to develop some mental fortitude. Regan starts this section off about the lie that is depression an interesting concept that depressed people need to hear. He talks about powerful mind building exercises such as affirmations, visualization, and using things like a gratitude list to help foster mental toughness.
However he doesn’t stop there but continues with an entire chapter on how to overcome obsessive thoughts. I know a few people that would greatly benefit from this knowledge and have am going to show this chapter to. Another highlight of this section is Regan’s chapter on self-esteem. Yeah I know what you’re thinking but I was actually impressed. Regan recommends things like developing your own code of ethics and holding yourself to them, increasing your value as a man, working out, and cutting out social media and porn which can cause issues for those with depression.
Part 3 – Lifestyle Changes
The next section deals with changing your lifestyle. In this section Regan addresses the importance of having a healthy body and how it’s linked to a healthy mind, why you should journal, and how critical friendship and community is to well-being (an often overlooked topic). Regan starts this section off with a chapter about working out and all of the many benefits both physical and mental that it has and also why it’s essential for overall mental wellbeing. He also dedicated a chapter to testosterone and how powerful it is in feeling your best and fighting depression. Something that most “wellness” teachers/gurus would never address.
Like I said this book is a unique and fresh take on overcoming depression and achieving wellness. Another chapter that stood out is the one on the importance of friendship. Regan talks about how important friendship and close bonds are as well as how to go about making friends if you currently don’t have any (even if you’re shy). And tip number one is to have value yourself, overall great advice for socializing that everyone could benefit from.
Part 4 – Spiritual Basics
While this book is targeted towards those who have depression or another unhealthy mental state it’s also a great guide for living a great life in general. In this final section Regan addresses an often underappreciated topic spiritual wellness. Regan wisely points out that our spirit (or soul, whatever you want to call it) is the center of our being and plays a huge role in our overall wellbeing. Regan takes wisdom from multiple places in this section addressing the topic of spirituality.
There is a chapter with 9 lessons from the Tao Te Ching as well as another chapter about the importance of the golden rule and how it applies to all our lives. Regan brings up good points regarding having a place for compassion and love in your life as well as reverence for the beauty of existence and life. And he does so in a way that makes sense, no mindless platitudes. Regan also talks about the power of words and the impact that they have on you (something I learned from copywriting). A very interesting section to say the least.
Man’s Guide To Wellbeing
Regan did a great job with this book and with addressing the subject matter in a practical yet still caring way. If you know anyone suffering from depression I’d rush them this book, it’ll make a huge difference for them. The book itself is very well lain out as well. I could tell from the writing that Regan put his heart into the book and that this was something that was close to him. Something I recommend everyone do is share how they fixed their own problems with others who are suffering from the same problem, something Regan does here with flying colors.
