How to Give Fewer F*cks in the Corporate World (Without Losing Yourself)
- Sergio Alexander Norton
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
Over the years, through countless conversations with clients, a pattern keeps showing up: the quiet struggle to stay true to oneself while trying to survive life + the corporate hierarchy. Many men share that they feel pulled in every direction, trying to be good partners, fathers, friends, responsible professionals, while sensing their own core values slowly slipping under the weight of societal expectations.
The Pressure Cooker
Corporate (every) environments have a strange way of convincing people that everything is urgent, personal, and high-stakes. Most men I see aren’t struggling because they’re weak or unfocused. They’re struggling because they’ve been taught to keep pushing through exhaustion, silence their instincts, and ignoring their own emotional warning signs.
It creates a kind of internal mutiny. One part of you wants to keep your job, keep the peace, keep the income. Another part wants to scream, quit, disappear, or burn it all down.
And somewhere deeper, a quieter part watches all of this like a captain who’s lost command of the ship.
So the question becomes: Which part of you is saling the boat? or driving the narrative today? And does it (that part of you) deserve to be at the wheel today?
Stop Trying to Be the Perfect Man
Here’s the truth most men whisper only when the door is closed:
"I am terrified of disappointing... people."
Terrified of being seen as weak.
Terrified of being replaced.
Terrified of being “too much” or “not enough.”
Terried of beaing seen as ... filling the blanks...
It’s about making space for the parts of you that aren’t tidy for society, the tired part, the angry part, the numb part, even the playful or "slutty” part of you that just wants to rebel.
You don’t have to act on every impulse you have.
But you do need to acknowledge them.
You’re not one man show, you’re a crew.
And pretending those other parts don’t exist is exactly what "rocks the boat" and makes people crack.
So Let Yourself Slip Now And Then (You Won’t Break)
Slipping doesn’t mean failure. It means being human.
You will lose focus.
You will get overwhelmed.
You will react in ways you don’t love.
You will shut down sometimes.
None of that means you’re weak. It means you’re carrying far more than anyone sees.
Your core strength isn’t your personality, your job title, your confidence, or whatever mask you have learned to wear.
Your strength is the part of you that watches all of this, all of yous in silence, the awareness behind your thoughts. The part of your that’s older than your identity and steadier than your moods. When you trust that deeper self, you stop giving so many f*cks about the noise around you. You will start to see clearly what Is and isn’t worth your life force.
Men’s Mental Health Is Not a Side Issue.
These pressures aren’t theoretical. They show up in the numbers:
• More than 3 out of 4 suicides in the UK are men.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.
• Many more men experience depression, stress collapse, burnout, and emotional shutdown long before they reach a breaking point.
• Work stress, job insecurity, financial pressure, and the fear of failure are major triggers reported by men.
This numbers are talking about a "system" that hasn’t made space for men to express difficulties until it’s too late. I’m not speaking from theory. There were moments in my own life, especially during the worst years of my cPTSD where I genuinely didn’t want to be here anymore.
After my sister died by suicide, something in me collapsed. I carried that grief like a shadow for years, and there were days when the thought of following her felt like the only way to end the storm inside me no knoiwng that more tragedies were on their way. Within a bit of more than a decade I lost my 4 siblins, dad and mum. All members of my family.
Those were the years where I learned that losing yourself is far easier than anyone admits.
And finding the way back wasn't easy - it was a along process of accepting life forces and being honest to myself. Honest about pain, about fear, about the parts of me I’d rather hide. That honesty and commitment to myself first saved me.
If there’s one message I hope stays with you, it’s this:
You’re allowed to be human and feel pain and still be powerful.
You’re allowed to slip, being wrong and still be strong.
You’re allowed to stop performing for others and come home only to yourself.
A Better Way to End the Year
None of us get through life without getting knocked sideways a few times. But the good news: you’re still here. You’re still trying. You’re still doing your best to be a decent man in a world that keeps moving the goalposts.
So as the year wraps up, take a moment for yourself, not in a dramatic “new year, new me” way, but in a grounded, human, mate to mate way:
• You made it through another year of farewell, pressure, surprises, challenges and curveballs.
• You kept going even when parts of you wanted to tap out.
• You showed up more than you probably give yourself credit for.
Just keep showing up as yourself with messy bits included - life balancing forces with help you get back on track. Trust Life. And keep giving fewer f*cks about the noise and more attention to what actually nourishes you.
And remember: you’re allowed joy, rest, humour, connection, softness, strength… all of it.
We’re all learning as we go. And honestly? That’s enough.
HAPPY NEW YEAR BRO.
Sergio Alexander Norton
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