Developed in partnership with the mental health charity Mind, This Book Could Help: The Men’s Head Space Manual by Rotimi Akinsete offers a supportive, practical guide for men navigating mental health challenges.
The book recognises that men often face unique societal pressures and stereotypes around emotional expression and mental well-being.
For men in particular, it’s often suggested that we ought to have some magical mental world that’s infinitely resilient, immovable, positive, sure of self – that we should be able to cope with everything that life throws at us.
Akinsete’s approach is refreshingly straightforward, providing readers with clear, actionable steps to understand and improve their mental health. His book included structured methods for managing stress, reducing anxiety, and fostering emotional resilience.
He covers practical techniques like breathing exercises, grounding practices, and cognitive reframing to help individuals better manage negative thoughts and feelings.
The book is broken into manageable sections, making it easy to revisit specific tools whenever needed. Each chapter encourages self-reflection and introspection in a way that’s accessible, without feeling overwhelming or prescriptive.
Practical advice includes making time for yourself, managing your time, connecting with others, setting boundaries, finding balance, setting realistic goals, and respecting sleep, supported by tips on how to achieve this.
It addresses the fact that men can struggle to name their feelings and offers advice on how to this do, providing a list of ten questions to consider to help identify areas of struggle.
Once feelings are identified, the advice is to name them, consider what triggers them, speak about them and let them out.
Akinese explains that if pain is bottled up, it tends to find a way out on its own. This could take many forms including the persistent of a negative internal commentary, abusing of drugs and alcohol, lashing out verbally.
If you’re not ready to talk to someone else just yet, or even if you are, talking to yourself can help get your head straight on what life is like for you right now. Asking yourself questions can be a good start.
The key is to be honest, even if you don’t like the answer. It’s a way of getting to grips with what’s bothering you, or what’s going well for you, and will help you to think about what to do about it.
One of the book’s strengths is its focus on breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health discussions for men. Akinsete gently challenges the stereotype that men should be “tough” or handle problems independently, instead fostering an environment where men can openly explore self-care.
The book acknowledges the complexities of maintaining mental health in modern life while underscoring the importance of small, consistent steps toward wellness.
With its approachable tone, This Book Could Help is ideal for men who may be hesitant to engage in traditional mental health services but are open to trying self-guided support.
Whether used as a daily guide or an occasional check-in, This Book Could Help offers readers tools to navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and self-awareness. The result is a helpful, relatable manual that invites men to prioritise their mental health journey with small but impactful changes.
Having previously worked with Rotimi, he is, without question, someone I would take advice and guidance from. His book is a brilliant resource, not just for men, but for the rest of us too.
All royalties from the sale of this book (a minimum of £10,000) will be donated to Mind.
