Men with a growth mindset tend to value change, improvement, and continuous growth, while those with a fixed mindset view talent and abilities as innate and unlikely to change. As noted by renowned German neurologist, Kurt Goldstein, ‘self-actualization’, or the desire to become a better version of oneself every day, is key if one is to reach one’s full potential in life. Modern men are in a sense at a much stronger vantage point from which to pursue further growth. With technology extending its reach into sectors are far ranging as health and art, there are plenty of opportunities to be better today than you were yesterday.

Technology for stress

In order to focus on improvement, it is vital to keep stress and anxiety at bay. The World Health Organization tells us that more women than men are depressed, but stress is actually more likely to cause depression in men than women. Emwave2 is a handheld device that displays your emotional state (measured through your heart rate variability) to help you learn how to shift into an optimal state. It encourages you to practice controlled breathing as a way to achieve better heart rate variability and lets you know when you have achieved it.

Apps for self-compassion

Men are slightly more self-compassionate than women, but they still have far to go in this respect if inner growth is to be achieved. The difference between self-confidence and self-compassion is similar to what makes proving and improving oneself different. One is reliant on outward accomplishment; the other focuses on self-acceptance and self-kindness. One recent study published in the journal PLOSfound that self-compassion can protect people from the harmful effects of perfectionism. Shine is an app that provides daily messages and activities that enable you to reach a state of mindfulness and self-kindness. It highlights the importance of positive affirmations and the occasional need to pamper yourself.

Tech tools for creativity

If you’ve been wanting to improve your dating life, creativity could be the way to achieve it! A paper published in Royal Society Open Science found that men who are creative are perceived as more seductive; creative abilities act as a boon to men who are not necessarily attractive. Tools like the Apple Pencil or Microsoft’s Surface Tablets have made it easier than ever for people to draw things, while today’s smartphones and photography apps have turned us all into photographers and video editors. Impress partners and friends by printing your designs or using the latter as home décor. Colour ink printing brings life to digital designs and today’s high-tech printers rely on ink instead of cartridges, thus giving you more value for your buck. Creating art will additionally help you fight stress. Some creators get so lost in ‘the Zone’ that hours can pass by before they even realize it.

Virtual reality in the mental health sector

Anxiety and depression affect millions of men across the globe. Although women are twice as likely as men to have generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, men are equally likely to have social anxiety disorder. Despite the usefulness of therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy for this condition, not everyone has the time or funds required for psychological counseling. The University of Southern California recently designed a virtual therapist called Ellie, to treat depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Ellie may not be able to make a truly human connection, but she is able to pick up both verbal and non-verbal clues. Her creators believe that she can improve diagnostic precision and therefore help improve mental health.

We have mentioned just a few ways in which technology can help men improve their dating life, battle stress, and hone their creativity. From apps to handheld devices, technology is helping men achieve their aims more quickly and efficiently. To reduce stress and hone self-compassion, start with a pranayamic breathing app. Just five minutes of controlled breathing a day can make a big difference to your life and apps such as Calm can take you there faster than ever.