ArlenJ.com
September 1, 2020
Men have endured the pressure of being provider, protector and patriarch for centuries. The world was set up for men to work 40-plus hour per week jobs at warehouses, factories and office buildings just three decades ago. Men made enough money to take care of their families and have a feeling of self-worth. But times have quickly changed; and men are facing unprecedented challenges in the workplaces and in their social lives.
Women accounted for 20% of the U.S. workforce in 1920, according to the Department of Labor. That number has steadily increased since that time. Women now account for 47% of the workforce, with the greatest gains happening in the 1960s. The job market itself has changed too. Manufacturing was 53% of the U.S. economy in 1965. That number plummeted to 9% by 2004.
The farming sector of manufacturing went from 30% of the total industry in 1950, to 8.5% today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. College-educated men experienced a decrease of 7.4% in work hours between 2000 and 2017, compared to a 0.7% loss in work hours for women. There’s also the 21st century dating scene that has men befuddled. A 2020 study by the Pew Research Center found that 65% of Americans believe dating is harder for men today because of the #MeToo movement. Seventy-five percent (75%) of men over 50 said its difficult to know how to behave on dates because of #MeToo
All of these conditions have created the perfect storm for a disturbing trend across the globe.
COVID-19 exacerbates bad situation
U.S. suicide rates in 2017 were the highest since World War II, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Men took their own lives at a rate three times higher than women. The situation is similar in the United Kingdom. The Office of National Statistics reported suicide rates among men in 2019 to be the highest since 2000.
Coronavirus brought with it record-breaking unemployment and loss of livelihoods for many men across the globe. A 2015 study published in the journal Psychology Research and Behavior Management found that every 1% increase in unemployment leads to a .79% increase in suicide rates. The suicide rate was 14 per 100,000 people in 2017. If the foregoing theory is applied along with other factors, it’s likely suicide rates reached levels equal to the Great Depression era this year.
Granted the “22 veterans commit suicide per day” may not be 100% accurate. But military veterans do in fact take their own lives at more than the double the rate of the general population. These men have perhaps the most difficult jobs in the world, while seeing and experiencing some of the worst conditions humanity has to offer. But whether you’re deployed in Afghanistan or sitting at home due to being laid off, men are facing a crisis of epic proportions.
Conscious command breeds confidence
Men must accept that there is only so much we can control on a daily basis. The COVID-19 pandemic, job loss and the subsequent financial and social consequences were and are beyond our control for the most part. Men need strong, healthy bodies during these times of uncertainty. But more importantly, men need mindset training to position themselves for success in this era of coronavirus.
Initializing positive self-talk within your Internal Monologue System (IMS) is key to achieving conscious command. The ALPHA by Prodigy Mindset Gym™ focuses brain activity on mid-level frequencies that facilitate creativity, relaxation and alpha states of consciousness. Men are able to live in the moment through repetitions, similar to how muscles grow from repetitions at a gym. Every man has a purpose in life, a reason to live. That purpose becomes clear when conscious command is achieved.
Learn more about the ALPHA by Prodigy Mindset Gym™ today.