From the time they are boys, men are handed an unspoken script.

Don’t cry. Be tough. Handle it. Don’t need anyone.

These messages, sometimes subtle, sometimes loud, and heard throughout the formative years, shape how men learn to relate to themselves and the world around them. Over time, understandably, perhaps inevitably, many build a kind of emotional armor. They appear strong, self-sufficient, and in control, and they are all of these things. And more. Underneath that mask, we often find pain, confusion, and a deep hunger to be seen as a full human being rather than simply a Provider and Protector.

The mask of masculinity is formed early in life.

Multiple studies have shown that there is little differentiation between the brains of infant boys and girls in terms of empathy. In fact, emotional and relational attunement continues to be equal until around age four or five. According to Stanford research conducted by Judy Chu, boys begin to experience a shift in this attunement about midway through Kindergarten. In that season, boys show a remarkable move towards inattentiveness and posturing as proof of masculinity.

This all happens in the subconscious. And it continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. That is, until or unless a man determines there must be another path.

The unattended masculine mask looks like the guy who never talks about his own struggles, the friend who makes a joke to dodge hard feelings, the man who suffers in silence because asking for help feels like weakness. It's the silent pressure to "get over it" or "be a man" instead of feeling pain. Instead of feeling, well, feeling anything.

While “manning up” may be rewarded by society, it comes at a cost: disconnection. Disconnection from one’s own emotions. From intimate relationships. From the freedom to be fully alive.

The truth is, the suppression of emotions is really only a burial of sorts. Unprocessed pain or trauma doesn’t disappear, it goes underground. Or under water, per se. Brené Brown describes emotional suppression as trying to hold a beach ball under water. If you’ve ever tried this, you know it’s not sustainable. Eventually, the beach ball will erupt from the depths. Emotions are no different.

Over time, buried emotions make themselves known. They may do so in the form of stress, burnout, substance use, rage, isolation, or illness. Many men don’t even realize how much they’re holding until something cracks.

The Good News: The Mask Can Come Off

If you’re ready to begin peeling back the mask, there are steps you can take. The first is to recognize how you were conditioned. Keep in mind, no one, including you, is to blame for this conditioning. Ask yourself:

• What messages did I receive about being a man? (and how true do they feel now?)
• Who told me it wasn’t safe to feel? (and what feelings are and aren’t safe?)
• When did I start hiding my pain? (and how might I start allowing myself to feel now?)

These reflections aren’t about blame — they’re about freedom. When we name the stories that shaped us, we gain the power to rewrite them.

Men are not meant to live in emotional exile. Vulnerability is not weakness, it’s access.

To love.

To wholeness.

To heal.

This Men’s Mental Health Month, let’s get curious about the masks we wear, and what life might feel like without them.

It starts with one honest moment: “I’m not okay.”
One question: “What am I really feeling?”
One act of courage: letting someone in.

When men reclaim their emotional truth, they don’t just heal themselves — they help heal generations.

What mask have you been wearing to survive? And what might freedom look like without it? Our coaches at Kaizen Mastery Group offer a safe, judgment-free space to explore your emotional truth and reconnect with who you really are - beneath the conditioning. Please reach out and know that we welcome your inquiry. Let’s start exploring your next steps in becoming the man that you were meant to be.