This article first appeared in The House of Wellness magazine.
Getting men to open up isn’t always straightforward. We speak to clinical psychologist and CEO of Umbrella Wellbeing Dougal Sutherland about why it’s difficult and the simple shifts that can kickstart honest, meaningful chats.
1. Start with a call, not a text
It sounds simple, but hearing a voice changes everything. Tone, pauses and laughter all build connection in a way messages can’t. “The next time you’re texting or messaging on your phone, think about having a phone call instead,” Dougal suggests. “If you’re not sure if the time is right for the other person, flick them a message and arrange a time to call or meet up in person. Having a phone call or a real face-to-face conversation with someone brings extra depth to human connection. We interpret so much from someone’s tone of voice or rate of speech or how they look. This ‘real time, real life’ data helps us understand the nuances of conversation. It helps us build connection and empathy, and helps to deepen personal relationships. We risk misinterpreting or misunderstanding others if we’re only communicating electronically. And intuitively, we seem to know this, as new research* found over 70 per cent of men felt better after a phone call rather than texting, and that figure climbed to over 80 per cent among Gen Z.”
