Most men don’t grieve by sitting in circles and talking about feelings. They grieve by working harder, staying busy, isolating, or pushing pain down until it shows up as anger, anxiety, exhaustion, or illness.

In this powerful episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, Will Schneider and Jon Macaskill sit down with Michelle Ann Collins—grief coach, mindfulness teacher, and survivor of profound loss—to explore how men actually process grief and why “try harder” is not a plan.

Michelle shares her personal journey through her husband’s suicide, PTSD, dissociation, and recovery through somatic, body-based mindfulness. Together, they unpack why men are conditioned to suppress grief, how shame and regret keep men stuck, and why embodied practices—not forced emotional expression—are often the safest entry point into healing.

This conversation offers real tools men can use in their truck, at work, or at home—without needing to relive the trauma or perform vulnerability.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
• Why men and women feel grief similarly but process it differently
• How action-style grief shows up as overworking, isolation, or emotional shutdown
• Why suppressing grief often leads to anxiety, panic, illness, or burnout
• How embodied mindfulness helps men stay present without dissociation
• What post-traumatic growth actually looks like in real life
• A simple grounding practice men can use anywhere
• How to move from the grief cave toward meaning without rushing the process

If you’re a man carrying loss silently—or supporting someone who is—this episode offers a grounded, compassionate path forward.

Sponsor:
Peptides for Health by Mark L. Gordon, M.D. is a two-volume series exploring the science and clinical application of therapeutic peptides.
Medical Edition Vol. 1 Release: December 22, 2025
Consumer Edition Vol. 1 Release: January 20, 2026
Discount Code: PFH25
Medical Edition Offer Window: Dec 20, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
Consumer Edition Offer Window: Jan 20 – Feb 20, 2026
Proceeds support the Children of Veterans Program.
Preview both editions: https://tbihelpnow.org/biohack-yourself

Links & Resources
Join the Men Talking Mindfulness team at the 2026 Spartan Race and take mindfulness into real-world challenge. This is about grit, presence, and brotherhood under pressure. Learn more and join the team here: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/spartan-race-2026

More episodes & resources: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com
Mental fitness & coaching with Will: https://willnotfear.com
Book Jon to speak with your team: https://jonmacaskill.com
Learn more about Michelle’s work: https://inhabitjoy.com

If this episode resonates, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with one man who needs to hear it.

This episode was co-produced by Robert Lopez of https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this solo episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, Jon Macaskill steps out from behind conversation and into the quiet honesty of being alone—speaking directly to men who carry responsibility well, but carry it alone.

This episode explores the lie of self-sufficiency: how being capable, disciplined, and dependable can look like strength on the outside, yet slowly drain connection, presence, and emotional health on the inside.

Jon shares personal reflections from his own life—marriage, leadership, military service, and fatherhood—and names the patterns many men never question: staying busy instead of honest, managing instead of connecting, and confusing endurance with strength.

You’ll hear why self-sufficiency works… until it doesn’t.
Why loneliness doesn’t always look like isolation.
And why many men don’t break down—they simply flatten out.

In this episode, Jon explores:
• Why self-sufficiency is praised, rewarded, and rarely questioned
• How high-functioning men slowly lose emotional access without realizing it
• The difference between being self-sufficient and being self-contained
• How control, busyness, and “being fine” become survival strategies
• Why asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s capacity awareness
• Small, realistic shifts that don’t require becoming someone you’re not

This episode isn’t about fixing men or dismantling masculinity.
It’s about telling the truth—and offering a way to stop carrying everything alone.

If you’re a man who’s still functioning, still providing, still showing up—but feels distant, irritable, or quietly exhausted—this episode is for you.

You’ll walk away with:
-Language to understand what you’re actually carrying
-Permission to stop confusing endurance with health
-Simple awareness tools that interrupt the pattern early
-A reminder that connection doesn’t require collapse

Sponsor:
Peptides for Health by Mark L. Gordon, M.D. is a new two-volume series exploring the science and clinical application of therapeutic peptides.
Release Dates
Medical Edition Vol. 1: December 22, 2025
Consumer Edition Vol. 1: January 20, 2026
Discount Code: PFH25
Offer Windows
Medical Edition: Dec 20, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
Consumer Edition: Jan 20 – Feb 20, 2026
Proceeds support the development of the Children of Veterans Program.
Preview both editions: https://tbihelpnow.org/biohack-yourself

Links & Resources
Join the Men Talking Mindfulness team at the 2026 Spartan Race and take mindfulness into real-world challenge. This is about grit, presence, and brotherhood under pressure. Learn more and join the team here: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/spartan-race-2026
-More episodes & resources: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com
-Mental fitness & coaching with Will: https://willnotfear.com
-Book Jon to speak with your organization: https://jonmacaskill.com

If this episode resonates, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with one man who needs to hear it.

This episode was co-produced by Robert Lopez of https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What if staying in a relationship without fully choosing your partner causes more harm than leaving?
In this episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, Will Schneider and Jon Macaskill sit down with Bryan Withrow Reeves—former Air Force captain, men’s coach, and author of Choose Her Every Day or Leave Her—to unpack one of the most uncomfortable truths men face in modern relationships.
Bryan speaks candidly about emotional absence, masculine shutdown, and the quiet ways men betray intimacy—not through infidelity or abandonment, but through disengagement. He shares his own story of staying in a relationship while no longer choosing it, and the damage that caused both partners.
Together, they explore how mindfulness, nervous system awareness, and men’s work help men develop the capacity to stay present during conflict, repair after rupture, and lead relationships with honesty rather than avoidance.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
• Why staying without choosing is more damaging than leaving
• How shame and fear drive men to emotionally withdraw
• Why presence is not the same as proximity
• How mindfulness creates the pause required for repair
• When leaving is actually the most loving choice
• Why men need other men to do this work well
• How to begin choosing your partner—or choosing truth—today

If you’re a man in a relationship, coming out of one, or trying to understand why intimacy feels harder than it should, this conversation offers clarity without judgment—and responsibility without shame.
You’ll walk away with:
✅ Language for emotional presence and honest leadership
✅ A framework for conscious commitment
✅ Tools to interrupt shutdown and avoidance
✅ Encouragement to do relationship work with courage and integrity

Sponsor:
Peptides for Health by Mark L. Gordon, M.D. is a new two-volume series exploring the science and clinical application of therapeutic peptides.
Release Dates
Medical Edition Vol. 1: December 22, 2025
Consumer Edition Vol. 1: January 20, 2026
Discount Code: PFH25
Offer Windows
Medical Edition: Dec 20, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
Consumer Edition: Jan 20 – Feb 20, 2026
Proceeds support the development of the Children of Veterans Program.
Preview both editions: https://tbihelpnow.org/biohack-yourself

Links & Resources
More episodes & resources: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com
Mental fitness & coaching with Will: https://willnotfear.com
Book Jon to speak with your organization: https://jonmacaskill.com
If this episode resonates, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with one man who needs to hear it.

This episode was co-produced by Robert Lopez of https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.