Are you ready to break free from hesitation, self-doubt, and isolation? Do you want to lead with confidence, build powerful connections, and live boldly? I'm Corey Baum, and I'm here to share the most impactful strategies and mindsets that I've learned through coaching, leadership, and real-world experience. Together we'll forge unshakable confidence, master social dynamics, and create a life rooted in purpose, brotherhood, and bold action. Inside, you'll get the tools and insights to become the strongest, most connected version of yourself. Let's dive in. What's up, man? So for most of my life, prioritizing my own needs, taking care of myself wasn't something that I even considered. It just wasn't even on the table. Right. And if I'm being honest, part of that was because I assumed that nobody else wanted to deal with my stuff, anyways. Right. If I was stressed, overwhelmed, or struggling, I figured it was mine to carry alone. So I I learned to keep moving, right? That I'd I'd handle things, I'd push through. Mindfulness, right? Stress management, those weren't words that were even in my vocabulary. And I let the pressure build and it it built for years. The thing about that is, is that that pressure, it doesn't just disappear because you ignore it, right? It has to go somewhere. And for me, it started showing up in my body, you know, pains in my back or tightness in my neck, heaviness in my chest. And I used to think that they were just random aches or pains or right, something that maybe I tweaked at the gym or something. But really, it was tension, right? Stress that had been building up like a pressure cooker, waiting for a release that never came. You know, and I and I didn't realize it at the time, but all those moments that I brushed off, those aches, that short fuse, that mental fatigue, they were signs, right? Signs that I was running myself into the ground without even noticing it. And by the time that I did notice, I was already showing up to the moments that mattered most, tired and distracted and disconnected. So today's episode is about something that most men don't think that they need, right? Until life forces them to see the cost of going without it. Self-care, mental health. And before you roll your eyes or check out, hear me out on this. I'm not talking about bubble baths and spa days. I'm talking about the maintenance work that keeps you from breaking down. The physical, mental, and emotional practices that keep you steady so that you can actually show up in your life the way that you want to. Because here's the truth: you can ignore your needs for a long time, right? You can convince yourself that you're fine, but your body will keep the score. The stress, the tension, the pressure that you push down, it doesn't just disappear. It comes out somewhere in your health, in your patience, in your relationships. And the stakes couldn't be higher. If you keep pushing yourself to the end of the line to last, you'll eventually have nothing left to give. But if you start prioritizing your well-being, even in small ways, you can handle more, right? You can recover faster and lead with more clarity and presence in your life. So in this episode, we're we're going to unpack what self-care really means for men and what it's not, why most of us avoid it until it's too late, how to spot the early signs that you're running on empty, and some simple, actionable ways to make it a consistent part of your life. Because self-care isn't selfish. It's how you make sure that you're able to lead, love, and live at your best. So let's start with the biggest myth about self-care: that it's selfish, that it's indulgent, that it's something that you do when you finally have time and everyone else's needs are taken care of. The truth is that self-care isn't a luxury. It's not a dessert at the end of a long week. It's the oil change for the engine that is your life. It's the preventative maintenance that keeps you running well. So you don't break down when the engine or when the load gets heavy. So think about it, right? If you owned a vehicle that you needed to rely on every single day, would you wait until the check engine light came on to take care of it? Or would you, or would you service it when you had a free weekend? Of course not, right? You you'd maintain it regularly because you depended on it. But most of us as men treat our minds and bodies like they can run indefinitely without maintenance. We we tell ourselves that, you know, I'll I'll get more rest after this busy season, or I'll get back to the gyms when to the gym when things settle down. That maybe I'll take a mental break after this project is done. But that that after that after never comes. Your partner feels it in the way that you snap quicker, that or you withdraw more. Your your kids feel it when you're physically present but mentally checked out. Your your work suffers because you're operating on low bandwidth, making slower decisions, missing details, and your friendships fade because you don't have the energy to invest in them. Now, self-care does include the basics, right? Sleep, nutrition, movement. Those are foundational, but it's so much more than that. It's emotional care, checking in with yourself instead of just stuffing everything down. That could mean journaling, therapy, or simply talking to someone that you trust about what's going on for you in your life. It's giving yourself permission to feel without judging yourself for it. It's social care, choosing to spend time with people who fuel you, not just the ones who are convenient or expect your presence. It's it's learning to say no when a commitment will drain you instead of build you up. It's mental care, knowing how to manage stress before it hits the red zone. And that might be mindfulness, breath work, reading, learning new skills that they challenge your mind in a healthy way or creating a daily daily rhythm that grounds you. So if you're not sure where where to start, here's something simple. And that's just taking an inventory. So let's break it down into four categories, right? Into physical, emotional, social, and mental. And for each one, I want you to ask yourself, right, if we're looking at the physical aspect of it, are you rested? Are you nourished? Are you moving your body regularly? Or are you just surviving on caffeine and takeout and six hours of sleep every day? All right, emotionally, do you give yourself the space to process what you're feeling? Or do you bury it under work and screens or busyness? Socially, are you around people who support you, who challenge you, who genuinely want the best for you? Or are you constantly overextending for others without getting anything back in return? Right? Mentally, do you feel like you have the tools to handle stress in the moment, or do you wait until you're overwhelmed and then crash? So most men discover that at least one of these tanks is bone dry. And usually it's been that way for a while. And the key is not to completely overhaul your life overnight. You don't need a 90-day transformate transformation. What you need is to choose one area of your life that feels most depleted and start feeling it intentionally and consistently without apology. Because self-care is not about escaping your life. It's about sustaining it. It's about giving yourself the capacity to be the man that you want to be in all areas, present, clear, and able to carry the weight that comes with leadership. So let's turn this inward for a minute. I want you to actually walk through this in your mind. Not as a quick mental note, but as if you were sitting across from me and we were talking about it. So think back over the last couple of weeks. Where have you been facing it the most? Not just physically, but in your presence, in your focus. Right? Your d do you notice yourself getting irritable faster than you used to? Do you feel like you've been moving through your days in a bit of a fog? Just trying to get to the end. Now let's let's break those break this up into four gat the four categories that we talked about. Alright, so physically, are you actually rested? Not the like, well, you know what, I I can get by on this much sleep rested, but genuinely recovered and energized. Are you fueling your body in a way that that gives you energy? Or are you running on caffeine and convenience food just to make it through? Are you moving in ways that build you up? Or has movement become something that that you don't have time for? Emotionally, how often do you check in with yourself? Do you even know how you're feeling most days? Or is it easier to just keep pushing and avoid thinking about it? When when something frustrates or or hurts you, right, do you do you give it space to be processed or do you bury it under work and distractions? Socially, are you spending time with people who actually refill your tank? Or are you saying yes to things out of obligation, leaving yourself to feel drained afterwards? Do you have people in your life that that you can be real with? No performance, no, no masks, right? Are you playing the role everywhere you go? And mentally, what tools do you have for managing stress in real time? Do you know how to calm your mind in the moment? Or do you wait until you're already at the breaking point and then try to figure it out? And here's the key question: which of those four areas feels the most depleted right now? If you had to pick just one to start filling, which one would make the biggest difference in your life if it improved, even just a little bit? And that's your starting point. Not fixing everything at once, not creating a massive to-do list, just choosing one area to protect, to nourish, and to rebuild, because that's where you'll feel the biggest return the fastest. So here's the reframe, right? Self-care isn't about doing less for others, it's about making sure that you can keep showing up for them at your best. Most men think that prioritizing themselves will somehow take away from the people and responsibilities that matter. But the opposite is actually true. When you're rested and you're clear and you're centered, you're more patient with your kids. You're more present with your partner, you're sharper at work, and you're stronger in every area of your life. So here's your challenge this week. Choose one area, physical, emotional, social, or mental that you know you're running on empty. And pick one simple action that you can take to start filling that tank. Maybe it's committing to a real bedtime for the next week. Maybe it's scheduling a walk or a workout that you treat like a meeting that you can't skip. Maybe it's reaching out to a friend that you can be real with. Maybe it's five minutes of breathing or journaling at the start of the day. Whatever it is, make it specific. Make it small, right? And make it small enough to succeed and then follow through. Because the man who invests in himself isn't selfish, he's sustainable. And that's the man that people can count on long term. All right, man. So if this episode hit home, if you've been running on empty and telling yourself that you'll take care of yourself later, I want you to know this. Later never comes unless you make it. This is the exact work that I do with men every day. We figure out where your energy is going, identify the areas that are most depleted, and create a self-care plan that's realistic and sustainable, one that actually fits your life, not someone else's idea of what it should look like. If you're ready to stop burning out and start leading from a place of strength, book a free discovery call with me at Evolvement Project.com. No pressure, just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to be, and and how to build the capacity to get there without running yourself into the ground. And if you got value from today's episode, share it with a friend who needs this reminder. Follow the show, leave a five-star review, and help get this message in front of more men who are ready to leave themselves well. Here's what I want you to remember from today's episode. You can't keep running on empty and expect to show up as the man that you want to be. Your health, your clarity, your pain, your patience, your leadership, they all depend on the way that you take care of yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. It's not weakness. It's something that you get to do, right? When when the real work is done. So this week, choose one small thing to start filling your tank and protect it like you would any other priority in your life. Because when you take care of yourself, you're not just serving you, you're serving everyone who depends on you. Thanks for listening to the Evolve Men podcast. Lead with strength, lead with clarity, and I'll see you next time. Hey, before you go, this podcast is just the surface. The real work happens inside the Evolve Men Brotherhood. This is our private community of men committed to leading themselves boldly, building confidence, and sharpening one another in the fire. Registration officially opens December 1st, and we kick off our Brotherhood calls together beginning in January 2026. But you can get on the list today and be the first to claim your spot. If you're tired of going to life alone and you're ready for true accountability, support, and connection with men who get it, head to Evolvement Project.comslash Brotherhood. Don't just listen, step into the Brotherhood. I'll see you inside.