Gender norms hurt everyone. Men aren’t allowed to participate in essential life functions or partake in some life’s greatest luxuries for fear of the ultimate insult: it’s unmanly.
Toxic masculinity has a weird way of labeling far too many basic life things as “feminine things.” The idea that participating in them is somehow “girly” keeps men away, to their own detriment.
Feminine Things Men Should Enjoy
Men often neglect these feminine-coded things because they fear labels like “girly” or “unmasculine.”
Let it go, guys. Culture decides that nonsense, and most of it has no actual grounding in science or even reality, for that matter.
These “female things” are actually just life things that all men should do.
See a Doctor
A man doesn’t need a doctor! He can heal himself!
No, he can’t, and I’ll never understand how society tricked men into thinking that seeking help is somehow feminine.
See the doctor. Get your annual checkups. Talk about your ailments. The sooner you find a problem, the easier it will be to resolve.
Yoga
Yoga strengthens the core and the mind. It’s an incredible full-body workout with tons of measurable benefits.
But the ladies like it, so “real men” tend to avoid the exercise despite all the proven benefits.
Sewing
Military men throughout the ages needed to know their way around a sewing needle – what makes you so different?
The ability to darn your socks and fix your clothes makes you an adult, not less of a man.
Fruity Drinks
Women get to drink delicious blended pina coladas and margaritas, while men are stuck with beer and shots.
Guess what? Fruity drinks are popular for a reason: they taste good.
Rock the umbrella! Stop letting gender norms tell you what types of beverages you can enjoy.
Cooking
It’s fascinating that cooking at home became a feminine thing, while the top chefs in the world are predominantly men. It seems as though men will do feminine things if they get prestige and money for it, but refuse to do the thankless, everyday work of life, because that’s women’s work.
Cooking is an essential life skill that every adult needs to know. We don’t expect everyone to become master chefs, but everyone should know how to prepare a few basic meals.
Basic Hygiene
Maybe I’m just online too much, but I’ve read far too many stories about men who refuse to engage in basic hygiene. Some won’t even wash or wipe their butts because that’s somehow “gay.”
Guys, you need to wash your body, brush your teeth, and wear clean clothes. It’s not “girly,” it’s the bare minimum.
Skincare
A stereotypical woman’s bathroom explodes with bottles of lotions, salves, and soaps designed to pamper the skin, while a stereotypical men’s bathroom has one bottle for everything. Then, men have the audacity to say women are just naturally better looking.
Nope. Women spend a lot of time on skincare, and most men would have similar results if they gave it more thought.
Taking care of your skin shouldn’t be a gendered activity.
Complimenting Your Friends
Men complain that they never receive compliments but fail to realize that they never give compliments, either, unless they have ulterior motives.
Women constantly lift their friends up with compliments, and men would collectively feel better if they did the same.
Compliment your male friend on his cool shirt, the great presentation he gave, or a new haircut. Start a trend of spreading love amongst your group – you will all feel better.
Loving Friendships
All humans need community to thrive, so why did deep friendships become a feminine thing? The shallow relationships men share keep them lonely and depressed.
Society is at fault here. Men learn to keep emotions buried deep inside and never verbalize their true feelings about their friends.
I’m glad the media has started portraying positive male friendships; hopefully, culture will catch up and more men will embrace the bromance.
Seeking Help
Men often refuse to seek help, especially if they’ve been victims of abuse. There’s still a massive stigma against male abuse victims and the perceived manliness of those seeking help.
Both these stigmas need to end, and it starts with men taking control of their mental health.
Experiencing Emotions
Men are raised to believe they only have one acceptable emotion: anger.
They’re missing out on the whole range of the human experience by burying all the other emotions.
Sadness, empathy, and joy aren’t feminine things; they’re human things. Allow yourself to experience them.
Proper Workouts
Far too many men let their egos get in the way of a good workout. They focus on powerlifting and building decorative arm muscles while ignoring their cores and legs.
Women tend to get more well-rounded workouts for health rather than vanity when they go to the gym, while men skip leg day because it’s feminine-coded.
Housework
Housework is not women’s work; it’s life’s work. Bathrooms must be cleaned, food must be bought, and laundry needs washing.
Men must step up to become fully functional adults and stop putting the burden of daily upkeep on women.
Skirts and Dresses
Why do women have a monopoly on comfortable summer wear? Men should look to their Scottish brothers and reclaim skirts and dresses for men’s fashion.
Why do guys have to suffer in jeans or cargo shorts all summer when they could wear something with a little breeze?
Skirts and dresses have a long history of being feminine-coded, so this one will likely be tough to change, but it would benefit everyone (mostly men!) if guys could wear what they want.
Shaving Legs
Leg shaving became a feminine thing in the early 1920s. Although many articles will cite cultural changes, one main reason is that razor companies were losing money because so many men died in the First World War, so they started marketing to women. A trend was born, and women started facing immense social pressure to shave.
Today, it’s still feminine-coded, but lots of people realize it should be a personal choice.
The same should apply to men. Guys who shave think others shouldn’t knock it. Smooth skin feels nice on any gender.
Spa Treatment
Why is pampering limited to the ladies? Fellows deserve luxury treatment, too. Book that spa treatment and relish in the relaxing, rejuvenating experience.
Allow the stress to melt away and enjoy the feminine activity of nourishing your soul.
Long Hair
Men don’t need to limit themselves to short styles and business cuts. Grow your hair long and enjoy your luxurious locks!
Although women have almost always had long hair, many cultures celebrated it in men as well. Consider one of history’s best examples of masculinity: the Viking warrior with his long hair flowing in battle.
Parenting/Childcare
I will never understand how taking care of your children became a feminine thing. Kids need both parents.
Millennial men have stepped up to deliver, but it’s still far from equal. Some men still think they’re “babysitting” when they’re parenting their own kids and call mom whenever something goes wrong.
Real men know how to raise their kids.
A Good Cry
You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after allowing yourself a good cry. Sometimes you must let all that pain, negativity, and stress pour out of your face in soppy tears.
Try it. You’ll feel better.
Mani/Pedi
Having neat, trimmed nails is actually a huge turn-on, so why do so many men avoid the nail salon?
We’re not asking you to decorate your nails with girly pinks and purples, but a professional trim can make a huge difference.
Whatever You Want
Real men do whatever they want without worrying about what others think. Like what you like and stop worrying about whether it’s girly or manly.
It’s human, and that’s all that matters.