One Brooklyn-based men’s collective is making an impactful contribution towards the future of men’s mental health.
In honor of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which is observed annually closely ahead of Men’s Health Month next month, Mastermind Connect has created Alchemy, a new virtual platform that aims to encourage growth and brotherhood between men. The collective recognizes the bulging mental health issues that men face today, and they are committed to building a safe space where participants are not only able to overcome personal obstacles but are able to work on themselves as individuals as well.
As a result of societal norms, the stigma associated with mental health is prevalent. Oftentimes, it is easier to describe what we feel physically compared to how we feel emotionally. For example, men, in particular, may effortlessly list digestive problems, headaches, or other chronic pain to their doctors — which can all be linked to preexisting mental health conditions — but may be unable to describe the emotions they experience. This is when they might fail to make the connection between their mental and physical symptoms. The preconceived standards of masculinity that exist can lead to men viewing mental health, in general, as a sign of weakness or as a concept that is simply not applicable to them.
This lack of conversation and familiarity surrounding the subject matter is what, in many cases, prevents men from seeking support for the mental health concerns they face. Although the road to a diagnosis may be lengthy, the strife with mental health is clear: according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), more than 6 million American men suffer from depression every year. Other mental health disorders are also on the rise, and there will most likely be a sharp surge in cases due to the psychological toll the global pandemic has caused.
Mastermind Connect has enriched the lives of a large community of men by connecting them to new ideas, camaraderie, and to their utmost authentic selves since first launching in 2017. Its members have had the chance to participate in various events and networking opportunities in New York, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles for the past few years but with Alchemy, the reach is set to extend much greater.
Alchemy was designed to be an empowering virtual space that aspires to promote health, wellness, professional development, and social connection among men. The digital support platform offers a variety of courses, live discussions, workshops, and an array of other resources and curated programming that are accessible from any corner of the world.
In addition to inaugurating the forum, the collective is offering the ‘Be Well, Stay Well’ 90-day transformation program to all of its members that will focus on revitalization and accountability. This program will place special emphasis on productivity and focus, factors that may be impacted amid the current situation, through goal setting, yoga, meditation, and business-success principles.
The Knockturnal was able to connect with one of the founders of Mastermind Connect, touching base upon creating an online community for men, the collective’s own hopes for Alchemy, and why creating platforms like it is imperative to cracking the silence and stigma that has long fenced this sensitive topic.
The Knockturnal: How does imposed masculinity and societal beliefs negatively affect how men view and approach their own mental health?
Mastermind Connect: We have noticed that many men feel compelled to have the solutions to everything, or they risk being seen as “less than” if they do not. This complex is so deeply-rooted that it can cause some men to fall into the trap of faking [obtaining solutions], just to give the impression of having it all together. The lack of healthy outlets to release tension, coupled with a lack of tools to help process anxiety, in addition to cultural stigmas about mental health, can result in meltdowns, substance abuse, and dysfunctional relationships.
The Knockturnal: Based on your experience, what does the current men’s mental health climate look like today? What are some issues that are most prevalent among men?
Mastermind Connect: In comparison to twenty years ago, the current climate is great. Holistic wellness is trendy right now, men’s health and wellness in particular. With that being said, there is still much to do in terms of establishing the outlook of this new masculine paradigm, namely because one of the biggest issues is the notion that manhood is supposed to be a certain way.
At the core of any imbalance, we see the societal-level tugs-of-war between the human needs for connection, expression, and understanding, and the standard-issue boxes we tend to force people into. Since the male experience is just as multifaceted and nuanced as the female one, a lack of self-love and belonging can be found at the crux of many problems we encounter in men and boys.
The Knockturnal: You are launching Alchemy, a new, members-only digital platform and accompanying app which will feature a variety of curated content, in addition to the ‘Be Well, Stay Well’ 90-day transformation program. What are your hopes for the collective as you delve into creating a larger community of men from all over the globe through this medium?
Mastermind Connect: The goal has always been to create a hub for today’s progressive man to connect with similarly minded, yet differently-abled individuals. While we achieved the first installment of this mission when we created our regional chapters, we knew that the message needed to be amplified to the parts of the world where we didn’t physically exist yet.
With Alchemy, we seek to transcend the boundaries of borders and cultures, effectively connecting ‘alchemists’ who may have never met under normal circumstances. We view our essential role as creating the context in which really dope stuff happens, then moving out of the picture; Alchemy serves to speak for itself, making that context more universally accessible. Our collective can only stand to become more dynamic by gaining more balanced perspectives.
The Knockturnal: Why is men’s health important to you? How has advocating for your own mental health and finding ways to work on yourself helped you to create a safe environment that allows others to do the same?
Mastermind Connect: Anyone [of our members] will tell you that at some point, we decided the way we were functioning wasn’t working. Whether it was due to fractured relationships with loved ones, failed businesses, etc., we all realized that at some level we had either adopted or created destructive patterns. [If we] dig a bit deeper, we realize these patterns came about because we were addressing our traumas the wrong way, or worse, not at all.
Once we started on the path of taking accountability for our destructive decisions, it became easier to hold ourselves accountable in order to make healthier ones. The power of decision carries its own momentum, so one thing led to another, which led to this. Full disclosure: we had no idea how the Mastermind Connect concept was going to pan out; the “safe spaces for others” part happened organically, and has been pretty self-sustaining for a few years now, we have simply decided to make it more accessible.
