Reaching Out Again: Reconnecting with Friends & Building a Space for Men’s Mental Health
Opening up about anxiety, reaching out to old mates, and starting something new to help young men talk more honestly. Come see what I’m building.
Feeling Anxious and Alone? You're Not the Only One
This week, I challenged myself to reach out to friends I haven’t spoken to in a long time—specifically, guy friends. It's something I’ve avoided for a while, largely due to a recent spike in anxiety that’s been holding me back in many areas of life.
When my anxiety is high, the idea of connecting with others feels overwhelming. Often, I just want to stay in my room, shut the world out, and try to heal internally. But the truth is, isolating myself never really helps me get better. In fact, it often makes things worse.
The Catch-22 of Connection
When I was feeling especially low, all I wanted was a friend to talk to. Yet, where I currently live makes it tough to see people face-to-face, and the idea of texting someone I haven’t spoken to in months felt terrifying.
What if they ignore me?
What if they’ve moved on?
What if they think I’m weird for reaching out now?
These questions played on a loop in my head. And honestly? They’re valid. But they shouldn't stop us from trying. Reaching out—even awkwardly—is better than staying silent in isolation.
Why I’m Documenting This
So, I’ve decided to document this process. I want to share my experience of reconnecting with old friends, being honest about my anxiety, and pushing through that resistance to connect again. Think of this as a kind of social experiment, and I’ll update you here on the blog as I go.
My hope is that, by sharing this journey, I might encourage someone else to reach out too.
A Bigger Idea: Creating a Safe Space for Young Men
This challenge led me to revisit an idea I’ve had for a while now.
I want to create an online support service that brings young men together in small discussion groups. These groups would be safe, supportive spaces to talk about vulnerable topics—things like anxiety, loneliness, self-worth, and emotional health. The kind of stuff that rarely gets spoken about in everyday conversations, especially among men.
Why? Because therapy can be expensive. And because sometimes, all someone really needs is a space to be heard.
I believe that peer support—guys talking honestly with other guys—could be a powerful and healing thing. There’s so much stigma still surrounding men’s mental health, and I want to help change that.
Inspired by Real Conversations
In a recent blog post, I mentioned how Steven Bartlett has a group chat where he and his friends regularly open up about vulnerable topics. I remember feeling a bit envious hearing him talk about it. Most male group chats don’t leave much room for that kind of honesty. They can be shallow, even toxic—full of banter but lacking in real emotional support.
That’s the gap I want to fill.
I want to offer something different—a digital space where men can talk freely, feel heard, and support each other through tough times. No judgment. No pressure. Just honest conversations.
Let’s Build This Together
I’ll be sharing more about this project in the next blog post—what it might look like, how it could work, and how you could get involved. Right now, I’m still in the idea stage, and I’d genuinely love to hear from you.
Have thoughts? Feedback? Experience with something similar?
Drop me a message, email, or comment. This isn’t just my project—it’s something I hope we can build together.
TL;DR:
I’m reconnecting with old friends to help manage my anxiety—and it’s hard, but worth it. I’m also working on creating an online space where young men can support each other around mental health. If that resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.