Perhaps the question we should really be asking is not why men aren't talking, but whether we've become better at recognising what poor well-being actually looks like. For many people, well-being doesn't suddenly deteriorate overnight, nor does it always present itself in obvious ways. It can show up as constantly feeling tired, becoming less patient, losing motivation, struggling to concentrate, throwing yourself into work, exercising less, sleeping poorly or quietly withdrawing from the people around you. These changes are often dismissed as simply being "busy" or "having a lot on", when in reality they can be early signs that someone has been operating under sustained pressure for far too long.

The statistics suggest this is something we should all be paying more attention to. According to the Mental Health Foundation, around one in eight men experiences a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression at any one time. Yet men remain significantly less likely than women to access psychological therapies, and tragically, around three quarters of all suicides in the UK are male. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under the age of 50.

These figures aren't included to shock. They simply remind us that men's well-being is not a niche issue affecting a small number of people but something that touches almost every workplace, every friendship group and every family in one way or another. The challenge is that many of the behaviours we celebrate in the workplace can also mask poor well-being. The employee who never switches off, always responds to emails late into the evening and rarely takes annual leave is often praised for being committed. The manager who carries everyone else's workload without complaint is viewed as dependable. The leader who is always available is seen as dedicated.

But sustained over months or years, these behaviours can come at a significant cost.

Our brains and bodies are designed to move between periods of effort and recovery. We all experience stress, and in healthy amounts it helps us perform, solve problems and adapt to challenges. The difficulty comes when there is no opportunity to recover. Constant pressure, long working hours, financial uncertainty, caring responsibilities and the expectation to always be available can leave people operating in a prolonged state of stress, making it increasingly difficult to think clearly, regulate emotions and maintain good physical health.

This isn't simply an individual issue; it's an organisational one.

As employers continue to navigate economic pressures, skills shortages and increasing demands, it can be tempting to focus solely on productivity. Yet organisations rarely perform at their best when their people are running on empty. Creativity suffers, decision-making becomes reactive, relationships deteriorate and managers spend more time resolving conflict than developing their teams. What starts as individual fatigue can gradually become embedded within the culture itself.

Leadership has a particularly important role to play here.

Whether we realise it or not, leaders set the emotional tone for the rest of the organisation. If leaders regularly work excessive hours, respond to emails throughout the evening, never take annual leave or feel unable to acknowledge when they're under pressure themselves, those behaviours quickly become normalised. Teams notice far more than leaders often realise.

Equally, when leaders are overwhelmed or struggling, uncertainty can ripple throughout an organisation. People naturally look to leaders for reassurance, direction and stability. If that stability begins to falter, employees may start to experience greater anxiety themselves, becoming less confident, more hesitant to raise concerns or feeling additional pressure to simply "keep going". Supporting the wellbeing of leaders is therefore not a luxury; it's fundamental to supporting the wellbeing of everyone else.

This is why workplace wellbeing cannot simply rely on encouraging individuals to be more resilient. Resilience has become something of a buzzword, but asking people to become more resilient whilst expecting them to work within unhealthy systems rarely delivers lasting change.

Instead, organisations should be asking different questions. Are workloads genuinely achievable? Do managers know how to recognise changes in behaviour before they become formal performance or attendance issues? Are people encouraged to take annual leave without feeling guilty? Do employees feel psychologically safe enough to say they're struggling before reaching crisis point? Are leaders modelling healthy boundaries themselves?

The answers to these questions often reveal far more about an organisation's wellbeing culture than any wellbeing policy ever could.

For individuals, it's equally important to recognise that wellbeing isn't simply the absence of illness. If you've noticed that you're more irritable than usual, struggling to sleep, finding it difficult to switch off from work, avoiding hobbies you once enjoyed or feeling permanently exhausted, it's worth paying attention. These changes don't necessarily mean something is seriously wrong, but they may be your mind and body asking for recovery before things become more difficult. Speaking to someone you trust, your GP, your employer or accessing professional support doesn't have to be a last resort. The earlier we recognise that something has changed, the easier it often is to put support in place.

Ultimately, perhaps the conversation around men's wellbeing needs to evolve. Rather than focusing solely on whether men are talking enough, we should also be asking whether our workplaces, our leaders and our cultures are creating environments where people can sustain high performance without sacrificing their health. Because healthier leaders build healthier teams, healthier teams build stronger organisations and workplaces where wellbeing is genuinely valued benefit everyone, regardless of gender.

How Fresh Seed can help

At Fresh Seed, we believe supporting wellbeing is about much more than awareness campaigns or wellbeing initiatives. It's about equipping leaders to lead sustainably, helping managers recognise when people may be struggling, and creating cultures where healthy boundaries, realistic workloads and open conversations are part of everyday working life. Whether you're reviewing your people strategy, developing your leaders or looking to strengthen wellbeing across your organisation, we'd love to help you build a workplace where people can thrive, not just carry on.