Breaking the Cycle of Stress, Work, and Silence

JK McQuinn
Aug 3
3 min read

Why Men Need Nature Retreats

"I'm fine mate, just tired."

How many times have you said or heard that.

How many times have your friends said it to you?

If you're a man aged 30-55 living in the UK, the chances are you've heard this phrase so often it's become the standard greeting.

Or maybe its that other one 'Just busy'

But its not always about 'just tired or busy'.

Behind that might be a sense of overwhelm, stress, or disconnection from ourselves and each other.

We realised that a lot of the men we work with 1:1 or in our team work have never had a chance to experience a retreat - and of course, me being me I wanted to change that and normalise this time and space for personal development, and mental well-being.

Over the past three years I've been running wild retreats, but they tend to be attended by mainly women despite being open to all genders.

When I spoke to the men I work with 1:1 and in my business networks. They totally agreed how a retreat could be a good experience, but shared how a lot of them seemed to be either too luxury, too contrived, have pictures of ALL women attendees or if it was looking at a men's retreat directly they pushed heavy on the whole 'brotherhood' energy that didn't land well with the guys I work with.

I also realised that a lot of these men's retreat are BY MEN FOR ME in there energetic framing, which seems to marginalise the guys who don't necessarily want or need this dynamic.

The male clients I work with share that they appreciate having a female coach, how its been easier to be open about things, instead of second guessing what the other person was thinking about their viewpoints (as a man)

Our retreats include mixed facilitation which brings you a dynamic perspective. Because we know that adds value to personal growth. Just like a forest ecosystem, we all thrive better on diverse experiences. So the retreat is here to offer that.

Six scenarios that lead you to need to re-assess

Or retreat this October aims to provide a space to reset, to consider options and get to know and understand yourself better whether that's because of stuff you have going on around your mental health, confidence or the chance you want to change aspects of your life for the better.

But over the decade+ of working with men, as a coach, here are some of the key factors that might be leading you to explore a wild retreat - summarised below

Career crossroads (feeling trapped in unfulfilling work)
Sandwich generation squeeze (caring for aging parents and growing children)
Relationship reckoning (being physically present but emotionally absent)
Health wake-up call (stress-related physical symptoms)
Identity crisis & feeling lost (losing sense of self beyond roles and responsibilities)
Social isolation (lack of meaningful friendships and connections)
Self-saboteur - (adopting habits, approaches and response you know aren't working for you and your life goals and values)
Simpler Life - (Looking to simplify your life, with more sustainable choices for you/your family and your impact on the planet - reclaiming better balance)

But if I had to really talk to the heart, what I have come to realise is that. For the men that find our services and experiences. The thing that is missing most, is this intrinsic sense of self that at many points of your life was deeply connected with Nature and being in the wild.

So when we explore in these beautiful Yorkshire landscapes, reaping all the benefits and science of time spent in Nature for mental well-being.

You just start cutting through the noise, and feeling more yourself again.

Its pretty cool to see and share.

So what can a wild retreat offer you?

Space to be and understand yourself, others and your options more clearly
Career clarity and perspective
Learning to manage overwhelm and find solutions that help
Reconnecting with emotions to improve relationships
Natural stress relief and health reset through time in Nature
Rediscovering your core identity beyond roles and expectation, what it means to be yourself and how.
How your values can help you stay well and healthy and deepen relationships and impact in your career
Time to have fun, freedom and adventure -especially where roles and responsibilities may be weighing you down.
The head space to reflect whilst also learning ways to be more intuitive and less over-thinking in your choices and decisions.
Building genuine male connections with other retreaters.
Discover handy insights to help with emotional regulation and belief systems to enhance your life
Get to grips with your own sense of belonging and how to cultivate that through life and connections.