Time to Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection

by Alex Holmes

Overview

We live in a super-connected world, yet men specifically, struggle to connect and share. This is changing... but not quickly enough. Award winning podcaster Alex Holmes sets out to accelerate this shift, debunking lingering myths around masculinity, love and connection by exploring what causes this sense of loneliness.

Starting with ‘Real Man Myths' and features designed to encourage us to open up and share, Alex motivates us to move from:

• Ignoring to Acknowledging
• Being Closed to Opening Up
• Can’t to Can
• Avoiding to Embracing
• Expecting to Accepting

Sharing his experiences on his podcast and as a young British black man, Time to Talk is a love letter to all the men who have lost their way

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781837963843
Publisher:	Trigger Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	628 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Alex Holmes is an award-winning podcaster and writer from London. He has been hosting and producing podcasts since 2016 including What Matters with Alex Reads, now named Time to Talk, and Mostly Lit, which was named by the Guardian and the BBC as one of the top podcasts of 2017 and won the Best British Podcast award at the 2018 British Book Awards. He now hosts the Time to Talk podcast, which focuses on mental health.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

So, Why Are We Here? 19

About the Book 35

1 It's OK to Be Not OK Time to Talk About Self-Doubt and Self-Acceptance 43

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men Don't Doubt Themselves'

Dealing with Our Inner Critic

Dropping the Need for External Validation

2 Learning Just to Be Time to Talk About Compassion and Self-Love 73

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men are Fearless Go-Getters'

Recognizing That We Are Not Broken

Learning to Love Our Authentic Selves

3 Finding Strength in Vulnerability Time to Talk About Bravery 103

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men Don't Cry'

Being Honest About How We Feel

The Value of Asking for Help

4 There's No Body Like Your Body Time to Talk About Health and Body Image 129

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men Have No Worries About Their Bodies'

Listening to Our Bodies

Exploring Our Relationships with Body Image

5 Redefining Success Time to Talk About Self-Worth 161

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men Never Fail'

Reframing 'Success' and 'Failure'

The Art of Winning at Life -Together!

6 Learning to Love Courageously Time to Talk About Love, Trust and Intimacy 189

Real Man Myth: 'Real Men are Lone Wolves'

Valuing the Gift of Friendship

Letting Love In

A Final Note 219

Further Reading: Books That Moved Me 221

Useful Mental Health Resources 225

Acknowledgements 229

Editorial Reviews

'The most important journey we must all take is the journey from our head to our heart and I honour Alex for his contribution in creating a safe space for men to do so. Thank you, Alex!' — Richie Bostock, The Breath Guy

'An invaluable primer for young men seeking a sense of identity and making sense of the world ... [Time to Talk] is a timely and courageous offering.' — Malcolm Stern, co-founder 'Alternatives', psychotherapist and author of Slay Your Dragons with Compassion

'A thoughtful, honest, helpful book on mental health, masculinity myths and the problem with 'manning up'. Alex has created a much-needed space of community and compassion. A wonderful book on a topic that will help us all.' — Emma Gannon, writer, broadcaster and bestselling author

'I long for a world in which all men are as curious, brave, and rigorous in the work of exploring and tending to their mental landscape, as Alex Holmes is. I believe reading this beautiful, thoughtful book will gently guide men who want to start that journey.' — Henry James Garrett, illustrator and author of This Book Will Make You Kinder

'A timely and truly important book that will no doubt help countless men.' — Shahroo Izadi, Behavioural Change specialist and author of The Kindness Method

'A really important book that every man should read. An extremely honest and vulnerable exploration of what it means to be a man with some excellent advice and tips on how we can evolve to a more positive form of masculinity. I absolutely loved it.' — Daniele Fiandaca, co-founder of Utopia & Token Man

'A wonderful read, full of such insight and wisdom. We need role models like Alex to shift the landscape of what it means to be a man. Time To Talk offers an opportunity to redefine masculinity for the modern world.' — Jonny Benjamin, MBE

'Powerful read ... We all could benefit from Alex's wisdom and advice.' — The Frank Bruno Foundation

From the Publisher