Mens Groups start again in February as do Mindful Steps. One piece of advice: “Pre-decide your energy red line and announce it out loud — once — to the people who matter.”

How it works in practice: Before any family gathering, work do, or Christmas event,  ask yourself: “On a scale of 0–100 % energy, at what number do I commit to leaving, saying no, or lying down — no matter how much fun everyone else is having or how much guilt I feel?”

Pick the number (most guys I know with CFS land around 30–40 % to avoid a multi-day crash). Then tell one key person (your partner, a sibling, a close mate) something like: “If I tap you on the shoulder or text you ‘red line’, I’m out in the next 10 minutes — no debate, no explaining in the moment. I’m just protecting myself so I can enjoy the rest of Christmas with you.” That’s it.