Unopened Male, London (2026)

02/12/2025

🎄💚 Getting in the Christmas spirit… kind of 💚🎄

I’ve never been the person who wakes up on the 1st December buzzing with festive energy. At my core I’m a certified Grinch with a slight seasonal upgrade 😅

Most years I rely on other people to drag me into the Christmas mood, but this year I’ve been harvesting a bit of extra energy from a special someone. Turns out joy is contagious when you let it be 🌟

I’ve had some great Christmases over the years, but the season has never come naturally to me. This time feels different though. I’m trying to look at it softer, warmer and with a bit more willingness to join in instead of watching everyone else sparkle ✨

Maybe it’s growth. Maybe it’s the promise of ugly Christmas jumpers. Maybe it’s… something else I haven’t figured out yet. But I’m letting myself enjoy the season rather than waiting to magically feel festive 🎅🏼

Anyone else a low key Grinch trying to get into the spirit this year? 👇🏼

26/11/2025

🧖🏻‍♂️💚 Healing looks like fluffy robes sometimes 💚🧖🏻‍♂️

I’m not someone who spends money on myself very often. Treating myself feels like a foreign concept half the time. Sometimes it takes someone special to remind me that I’m allowed to enjoy things that aren’t just “practical” or “necessary” 😅💚

And honestly, being walked between pools, jacuzzis, steam rooms and whatever other magical bodies of water they had in there felt like elite level self care. My brain tried to be stressed but the jets were like “not today” 💦

I’m realising that healing is not always deep emotional work. Sometimes it is sitting in warm water doing absolutely nothing and calling it progress. Sometimes it is letting yourself enjoy comfort without feeling guilty for once 🌿✨

I might actually be a robe person now. This is my villain origin story 🧖🏻‍♂️😌

Anyone else discovering new versions of self care lately? 👇🏼

19/11/2025

♂️💚 International Men’s Day 💚♂️

Today hits differently for me. Su***de is still the biggest killer of young men, and there was a time when I came far too close to becoming part of that statistic. Even thinking about it now feels heavy, but it also reminds me how far I have managed to come 🧠

UnopenedMale started in the middle of that darkness, yet somehow it became a lifeline instead of a goodbye. The conversations I have had with the incredible men in this community have reshaped my life in ways I never expected 🙏🏼

Your honesty, your courage and your willingness to share the parts of yourselves the world tells men to hide have taught me more about strength than any stereotype ever could 💬💙

I hope to keep living with the same honesty and bravery you have shown me. Softer where I used to be hard, stronger where I used to fold and more human than I ever let myself be before 💚

Here’s to the men who are still here. The men fighting their silent battles. The men rebuilding piece by piece. And the men who speak up even when their voice shakes. You matter more than you know 💪🏼🫂

16/11/2025

📋🧠 The plan to stop over planning 🧠📋

Had a classic therapy moment this week. The second life feels calm, my brain decides it is time to create twelve goals, five routines and a full life overhaul by the weekend 🤦🏻‍♂️

I love a list. I love a system. I also love forgetting I am one man with limited energy and not a productivity robot powered by iced coffee ☕️⚡️

So I stack plan on plan, ignore my actual capacity, then get annoyed when everything collapses faster than my willpower in front of a takeaway menu 🍕

Therapy basically reminded me that the more I pile on, the less any of it becomes achievable. Then I feel worse, which makes the plans even harder. A beautiful little cycle of self sabotage.

So here is the new approach. Smaller steps. More realism. Less trying to rebuild my entire life because I had one good Tuesday 😅

Anyone else guilty of trying to upgrade every part of their life at once? 👇🏼

13/11/2025

🐶💚 Soft spots and small joys 💚🐶

I spend so much time talking about healing, progress and the chaos inside my brain that I sometimes forget how much the small things help too.

Fresh air. Good company. An adorable little menace who absolutely refuses to sit still for a nice photo no matter how politely I ask 🐾

It turns out that healing isn’t always deep reflections and life breakthroughs. Sometimes it’s just moments that soften the edges a bit. Moments that remind you life can feel lighter than you expected.

These days I’m really trying to appreciate that these little pockets of joy count just as much as the big mental health wins 💚

What small thing has been helping you breathe a little easier lately?👇🏼

11/11/2025

😌🧘🏻‍♂️ Peace is weird 🧘🏻‍♂️😌

Lately things have been… calm. Which sounds great until my brain starts panicking that something must be wrong 😬

When you’ve spent years in fight-or-flight mode, peace can feel suspicious. Like your mind’s whispering, “don’t relax, something’s about to explode” 💣

I’ve had to remind myself that quiet doesn’t mean empty. That stability isn’t boring, it’s the reward for all the chaos I’ve already worked through 💭

It’s strange getting used to this version of life. No constant drama, no spiral every other week, no deep emotional post at 2am (you’re welcome) 😅

Peace still takes work, but I’m starting to see it as progress rather than punishment 💚

Anyone else learning how to sit with calm without overthinking it? 👇🏼

03/11/2025

💭🏃🏻‍♂️ Depression can’t hit a moving target 🏃🏻‍♂️💭

Lately I’ve been reminding myself that progress doesn’t need to be dramatic to count. Some days I’m sprinting towards betterment 🏃🏻‍♂️💨 Other days I’m crawling there with the enthusiasm of a hungover sloth 🦥

Both still move you forward.

The truth is, when I stop completely, that’s when things start to slip. The thoughts get heavier, the motivation goes missing in action, and suddenly I’m beating myself with a metaphorical stick as I try to sleep 🫠

So even on the bad days, I try to keep moving. A walk 🚶🏻‍♂️, a shower 🚿, a message to a mate 📱. It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to happen.

Because progress isn’t about how fast you’re going, it’s about the fact you’re still going 💚

Anyone else just trying to out-run their mental health lately? 👇🏼

30/10/2025

🌅💚 New beginnings 💚🌅

Part of healing is realising you don’t have to do it all alone. Having the right people around you can make the dark days lighter and the good days even better 🌤️

Lately I’ve been lucky enough to find someone who not only makes me incredibly happy, but makes me want to be better. The kind of person who inspires you to show up as the best version of yourself, even when that version still needs monging out time 🥴

Starting something new can feel nerve-racking, but honestly? The excitement and happiness have completely drowned out the nerves 🫶🏼

So here’s to new beginnings, to growth, and to continuing this journey of becoming happier, healthier and a little more human every day 💚

What’s something new in your life that’s been making you smile lately? 👇🏼

28/10/2025

❄️ 🧠 Seasonal depression 🧠 ❄️

The days are getting shorter, the nights colder, and my motivation has already filed for hibernation 🐻‍❄️

And yes this photo is a reminder to myself that sunshine and shorts still exist 🙃

Even the most mentally fortified among us aren’t immune to the slow crawl of seasonal depression. It doesn’t care how much work you’ve done, it just shows up with a cold breeze and a bad attitude ❄️

This time of year, looking after yourself isn’t optional. It’s essential.

👉🏼 Get outside and catch whatever sunlight you can (even if it’s just standing in a weird patch of light like a sad houseplant)
👉🏼 Wrap yourself up like a human burrito 🧣
👉🏼 Treat yourself in ways that actually recharge you, not just numb the stress
👉🏼 Keep in touch with the people who remind you you’re not as weird as you think

You don’t need to act like nothing’s changed. Adjusting your routine to support your mental health isn’t weakness, it’s just good admin 💚

Anyone else feeling that seasonal dip creeping in already? Let’s talk about it 👇🏼

20/10/2025

📈 📈 Signs of life 📈 📈

Had one of those “oh… huh” moments in therapy last week 🤔

The long-term goal with my mental health journey was never to completely eliminate the lows (spoiler: still impossible for me 🙃)

It was to be happier, healthier, and to have those depressive episodes show up less often and hit a little less hard when they do 💭

And weirdly… that kind of feels like where I’m at 🧩

I haven’t posted as much lately. Not because I’ve been struggling in silence, but because things have been feeling steady ⚖️

Not perfect, not cured, not reinvented. Just… more manageable. And that’s huge.

There are still dips, spirals and overreactions to any criticism at work 🕵🏻‍♂️ but overall I’m coping better, quicker, and more gently with myself

That doesn’t mean UnopenedMale is going anywhere. If anything, it means I’ve got even more to share. Because the goal was never to only talk about the lows, it was to show the full picture 🎬

Thanks for being part of it 💚

Anyone else realising they’ve made quiet progress recently? Drop it below 👇🏼

21/07/2025

📆 🎉 5 years of UnopenedMale 🎉 📆

1,825 days, over 200 posts and around £7,000 in therapy costs ago I launched this page 🤯

Looking back through some of my first posts it’s almost unrecognisable how different I talk about my mental health…

It’s also unrecognisable how few grey hairs I had but the less we talk about that the better 👨‍🦳

I’ve found it really difficult at times to be able to see the improvements and progress I’ve made but UnopenedMale has made that infinitely easier 🙌🏼

Back then I was opening memory boxes I’d forced shut years ago, unbandaging my scars for the world to see and connecting the dots of trauma to my behaviour 💚

These days I’m applying the lessons I’ve learned, experimenting with new ways of self-care and genuinely a happier and healthier version of myself.

This journey will never end but the work I’ve done and documented through UnopenedMale has allowed me to better avoid stumbling blocks and pick myself up quicker than ever before 💪🏼

As always, I’m immensely grateful to everyone of you who has been a part of this page that has changed my life and can’t wait to see what the next 5 years have in store 😍

01/07/2025

🍻🌞 A sunny pint and a little reminder why I love this community 🌞🍻

I don’t think I acknowledge this community enough for the amazing work it does and how often it’s brought light into my life 💡

You wonderful people share raw stories 📖, posting daily reminders for who we should strive to be 🫂 and make all of us feel a little less alone 💚

I want to continue to share all the love and support that you have shown me over the year and remind you how important what you do it 😍

If there’s a mental health page or charity that’s inspired you lately, tag them below so we can spread some love together👇🏼

Unopened Male

02/12/2025

26/11/2025

19/11/2025

16/11/2025

13/11/2025

11/11/2025

03/11/2025

30/10/2025

28/10/2025

20/10/2025

21/07/2025

01/07/2025

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