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Your connection to your primal side as a man has very profound benefits to your physical and mental well being.

Someone once said, “The worst thing to happen to a man is to become civilized.” 

No, that doesn’t mean that it’s terrible to be a productive member of society. Instead, it’s talking about losing touch with your primal side.

Once, men roamed far and wide to hunt food and fight to protect their families. Our modern life no longer has need of many of the things men once needed to do, but that doesn’t mean those aspects of our primal side or human nature should ever be totally left behind.

So many men these days are experts with the latest modern technology, but they have no idea how to build, forage, hunt, or take care of themselves outside of civilized society. If it doesn’t come at the press of a button or you can’t pay for it with a credit card, what do you do?

Sound familiar? Don’t let that be you!

If you want to get in touch with your primal side and tap into what is an important side of your  manhood, here are a few things you should definitely do starting today:

Run – Ancient men used to run all day without fatiguing, but most of us can barely jog for an hour without being absolutely drained. Our society doesn’t place high demand on running ability, but the day may come when it will become important again. As a man, it’s vital that you spend more time running. Jog, run, or sprint if you can, but get on your feet and hit the streets, track, trail, or course. Running is a critical part of being fit and it will help you get around under your own power, no matter what happens! 

Hunt – Every man should hunt at least once in their lives. We live in a world of convenience and comfort—food literally sits waiting on shelves, in your freezer, or waiting to be delivered to your home at the press of a button. But to truly respect the food you eat, you need to hunt it. It’s a truly primal, raw experience that you can only understand when you do it. Even if you never actually kill anything, just the act of stalking your prey will give you a greater respect for your ancestors who dedicated their lives to hunting. 

Fish – Fishing isn’t rocket science, so it’s something that every man should be able to do, at least a little! Buy or borrow fishing equipment and head out to your local lake, river, or beach to spend a few hours fishing. Not only will you learn a greater respect for the animals and wildlife, but you may just learn a few new skills: how to catch, reel in, gut, clean, and cook a fish! Those skills could save your life in an emergency situation!  

Camp – Modern conveniences—tents, sleeping bags, portable power packs, gas-powered camp stoves, and flashlights—make camping incredibly easy and comfortable, but that doesn’t make it any less of a primal experience. There’s something wonderful about being out in nature, with nothing and no one else around you for miles. Every man should experience the marvel of being alone under the stars, with nothing but a bit of equipment and their own wits to get them through the trip. 

Change Your Oil – Modern technology requires modern skills, and one of the most critical skills any man can learn is to change their car’s oil. It’s one of the easiest of the car repair skills, one that you can finish within 4-6 hours on a weekend.  Technology will even make it easier for you to master—there are hundreds of YouTube tutorials to help you change the oil on your specific vehicle. But the act of jacking up the car, getting down and dirty under the hood, and working with your hands is the closest many of us modern men will come to get in touch with our primal sides. 

Build or Fix Something – Once, if you wanted a house, you had to build it yourself. Now, all you have to do is call up a contractor and let them handle the work. Which is probably for the best, because few of us have skills at actually building houses from scratch. However, a real man should be able to at least make basic repairs to their home or build small, simple things. Look for things around your house that you can fix, and invest the time and money into making those repairs. Or, find something you can build that is simple enough for your current carpentry skills. The feeling of satisfaction will be immense when you see the work of your hands.

Meditate – The busy, noisy world around us can get us so wrapped up in what we’re doing that we fail to remember who we are. Meditation is one of the most primal experiences you can have, as it forces you to get in touch with your inner being. Take a few minutes every day to sit in silence, close your eyes, and meditate. It’s absolutely worth the effort expended!

Read – To be a true man, you’ve always got to be learning, growing, and expanding your understanding. Reading is one of the best ways to do that! Reading opens your mind, broadens your horizons, presents information in new ways, or helps you to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Make it a point to read one book a month—fiction, non-fiction, self-help, it doesn’t matter, just read! 

Cook – Every man should know how to grill a steak and fry an egg, but don’t stop there. Learn the ins and outs of cooking—grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, veggies, fruits, proteins, even oils. The more you learn the cook, the greater respect and understanding you’ll have for what you put in your body. Cooking is a skill that everyone should learn, at least the very basics. You never know when you’ll need it—either to impress someone or to feed yourself in an emergency situation.