You're measuring your financial health with the wrong number

Most men measure their financial health by what comes in each month. That number tells you almost nothing.

"The most common form of despair is not being who you are." Søren Kierkegaard

Performance

There's a fat your brain runs on. Most men aren't getting enough.

EPA, a specific type of omega-3, has been shown in clinical trials to reduce depressive symptoms by up to 30% in men when taken at 1-2 grams daily. A 2024 meta-analysis in the BMJ Open reviewed 26 randomised controlled trials and concluded that EPA-dominant formulas outperformed DHA for mood outcomes. In the UK, NHS surveys show that only 28% of adults meet the recommended two portions of oily fish per week. In the US, average omega-3 intake falls well below the American Heart Association's guidance.

The research is clearest on EPA specifically, not generic "fish oil." Most supplements sold in supermarkets are DHA-heavy.

Today's move: Check the label on any omega-3 supplement you have. You're looking for an EPA:DHA ratio of at least 2:1.

What's in Freedom today might shift how you think about earning more.

Freedom

Your income is what you earn. Your net worth is what you keep. Only one of those predicts wealth.

The ONS Wealth and Assets Survey found that two men earning the same salary can differ in net worth by a factor of three after 15 years. The difference is rarely income. It's what happens to money after it arrives. In the US, Federal Reserve data from 2024 found that among households with similar incomes, those who tracked net worth rather than income had 2.4 times more in investable assets after 10 years.

Net worth is assets minus liabilities. Most men could calculate it in ten minutes and haven't done it once.

Today's move: Write down three numbers: everything you own, everything you owe, and the difference. That's your starting point.

What's in Connection today is something most men never name.

Connection

Suppressing emotions doesn't make them disappear. It makes them louder, and more expensive.

A 2025 study from University College London followed 1,241 men over three years and found that those who regularly suppressed emotional expression had cortisol levels 22% higher than those who processed emotions openly. Chronic cortisol elevation is linked to disrupted sleep, lower testosterone, and accelerated cardiovascular ageing. In the US, research from Indiana University found that men who avoided emotional expression reported lower relationship satisfaction and higher rates of anxiety by mid-life.

The stoic ideal, feeling nothing and showing nothing, carries a real biological cost.

Today's move: Name one thing you've been carrying this week without talking about it. You don't have to tell anyone. Just name it.

Good News for Men

Twenty-two former professional footballers in Yorkshire launched a free mental health peer support network in 2025, using their media profile to recruit men who'd otherwise never seek help. In its first six months, over 400 men joined regular group sessions. Half of them had never discussed their mental health with anyone before.

What your brain needs, what your net worth actually is, and what you're carrying in silence. Each one is worth your attention today.

Reply with STRONG LIFE to start working on what matters most.

Keep building.

David Bell

Real Man | realman.co

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