I know I've written about work stress before in this forum somewhere but worth revisiting as "Mental Health" especially in our Man Mode Main lives is something we and everyone else takes for granted.

Toxic masculinity and expectation of what it is to be a man has a lot of blame and what peers, parents, friends and family expect from a man from us.

I've described myself before as a bit of an Alpha male.. Captained sports teams, pretty popular in school, worked in Engineering via college and Uni qualificstions into a male dominated vocation where I've set a bar and stress myself out maintaining it also known as making a rod for your own back as people expect this constant level of exceeding expectation etc..

I mentioned in a previous post about stress levels as we see off 2024.. a year where I only managed about 5 or 6 times to dress fully but not one session of any quality time where I can dress and just chill with plenty of time and without the need to change back to a schedule..

Well last Friday prior to Christmas with the last time dressed working from home 2nd week of November for a few hours was my last day in work in 2024 .. I then had 5 days to relax ahead of Christmas day and those 5 days I felt ill, I hardly slept, I kept waking at 3 in the morning getting up 0630 to 0700 as I was awake then knackered all day.

I've put it down to something us stupid men don't realise and that's stress and ignoring our mental health.. working to deadlines, some self imposed and maintaining this level of excellence or exceedence that everyone accepts from this Alpha male and keeping up the front of what we've built for our male selves..

I hadn't realised the levels of stress that have probably dogged me for the last few months.. Just as I'm almost down to what might be normal I'm thinking times going too fast and I'll be back in work soon..100s emails, decisions made without me there to guide ill need to reverse, trends off in the stats and issues to resolve immediately..

The mad thing is Crossdressing somehow helps me temporarily escape this but although my wife knows which is one obstacle and also a comfort the kids not knowing or that work video call, parents popping round unannounced etc the having to assure I don't get found out and lack of quality time as Davina and lack of any proper time in 2025 hasn't resulted in much of a drop of stress levels this year.

I think a minimum once per month fully dressed and made with a few hours to enjoy it helps.. maybe a little bit of retail therapy for Davina and something new to wear would also help and of course.

• Getting back to being gym addicted and losing weight and toning back up getting and feeling fit again.

• working far less hours and switching off from work which i say every year but we need to say this mean it and assure we stick to this resolution..

• Assuring we have more husband and wife days in 2025.

• Try to be Davina at least once per month in 2025.

Will also help..

Crux is don't do what I've done the last few years as work work work pays the bills but makes the year dissapear, makes less time to look after yourself physically and mentally and you don't get paid those unpaid overtime hours And you cant get them back.. and if it helps then make time somehow to embrace your fem side at least once per month for that escape.and explain if you have an accepting wife that that's part of your plan for your own mental health.

A lot harder if you're in the closet..

What's helped a little bit in 2024 is when I feel I need to escape is wearing knickers instead of boxers which I must say feels a lot more comfy than boxers (and I've secretly been doing this a lot more lately when i work from home) but it doesn't beat the full transformation into Davina..

Hard to describe or explain the stress release I get from this "Hobby" or "Way of Life" whatever it is.

Look after yourselves physically and mentally.

Davina