Fitness and Tough Times: Putting the Two Together
Today, we feature a guest post by Amy Collett of Bizwell.org …
FITNESS & TOUGH TIMES: PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER
For the last couple of years, we’ve all been going through it: a pandemic, social unrest, political shifts — all with personal concerns to overcome on top of, and sometimes because of, the world situation.
There is no understating the importance of fitness during difficult times. It is one of the most challenging but most rewarding things you can do. If it were easy, everyone would be fit as fiddles. Yet, engaging in an exercise like a regular yoga practice can give you the physical and emotional boost you require to thrive during challenging times. Am I Next? offers some ways you can regain your momentum and then keep it going, come what may.
How It Helps
There is no denying that the stress of the past couple of years can push people beyond comfortable limits. Drug and alcohol abuse has risen at an alarming rate; sadly, as a result, overdoses are up as well. Part of recovering requires building ourselves back up and finding a healthy rhythm once again.
Physical activity is one way to start feeling better, mentally and physically, once more. It’s established that exercise stimulates the production of endorphins and other chemicals that help the brain feel good — especially important if you struggle with substance abuse. This release of chemicals can help to ward off depression and depressive thinking. The dopamine released during aerobic activity may even help reduce cravings.
If you exercise in a group setting, you may find the support you need to keep going when you are at your lowest points. It gives you something to do and somewhere to go. Accomplishing the small goals you set for yourself may help you build up the self-confidence you might be missing, and having workout buddies can help hold you accountable.
If You Work From Home
Working from home is more common now, and there are lots of benefits to it such as avoiding stressful commutes and having the ability to better balance family and work time. It doesn’t come without a price, though, and long periods of isolation can lead to depression and lethargy. To avoid that, make sure to stay in touch with coworkers and get out to see people every day. Also, change up your routine from time to time. It’s easy to work longer hours when you’re working from home, so set a specific work schedule and stick with it.
Work on Mental Health
A big part of recovering from tough times is building up mental wellness. While working out is one way to help improve the state of our minds, Psychology Today notes there are other things we can do to help ourselves. Try to experience the moment you are in, without thinking of the past or worrying about the future. Actively replace negative thoughts with positive equivalents. If you have a negative subconscious thought pop into your mind, reframe it to something positive. Finding ways to stay positive starts with your living space. By letting in more natural light, decluttering, and adding some indoor plants, you’ll be calmer and more focused.
If your subconscious states that you are not worth this effort, deliberately take that thought and make it positive. You are worth this effort. It may take time and feel untrue at first, but with determination, you will begin to retrain your subconscious thoughts into positive ones. Spend time out of doors. Mild sun exposure, coupled with fresh air for only a few minutes a day may uplift your self-worth and alleviate stress.
Exercise and Routine
One of the best ways to start and maintain a routine is to go slowly. If your first goal is too strenuous to be realistic, failing to meet said goal can be disheartening and may contribute to giving up. Set small goals, especially at first, ones you know you can accomplish. Maybe consider walking for 20 minutes, twice a week. If you meet your goal, raise it to three times a week, and so forth.
Indoor Cycling
Fitness trainer Jake Maulin calls indoor cycling a real stress reliever. Like a “runner’s high,” cycling releases serotonin (a mood enhancer) to the brain. Test out different indoor cycles before you purchase to make sure you’re comfortable. If not, you may give up too soon.
Gentle Coping Methods
Working out doesn’t have to be part of a rough-and-tumble approach to self-care. It’s OK to treat yourself gently and to take care of yourself with love. Stress and anxiety aren’t healthy, so find ways to ease these things.
Meditation is a great way to combat the stress we feel. If you have a hard time sitting still, an effective strategy to ease into mindful thinking is through physical activity like yoga or swimming. Both are easy, repetitive motions that can help us achieve a meditative state that can combat anxiety. Like other forms of exercise, they make us feel good overall and can get us started on meditation.
Be understanding with yourself and do what you need to do to support wellness, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Getting back on track may be a difficult path, but there are things you can do to make it easier. After all, have you not suffered enough? This is the time to treat yourself with love and compassion.
About the author, Amy Collett…
Personal branding is you, exemplified.
After 18 years of climbing the corporate ladder, I was let go. As I was updating my resume, I realized something. Looking at the words on that paper, you couldn’t tell one single thing about who I really am.
A prospective employer wouldn’t know that, while I was leading a team of marketing professionals, I was also coaching my daughter’s soccer team to a championship.
My next boss wouldn’t be able to tell that, after a day at work training new employees, I go train to be a yoga instructor.
An HR manager wouldn’t be able to tell that I spend most of my vacation days each year traveling out of state to visit my aging grandmother.
None of them would know that, even though I had been responsible for keeping track of sample inventory at every job I’d ever had, I hated doing it.
But these are the things that make me who I am and, in a lot of cases, make me good at what I do. The leadership, discipline, and love I put into my personal life carry over into my work. They are not mutually exclusive.
That’s when I decided to merge the two. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. Now, I have a job where I can focus on my strengths, leave early on Tuesdays for soccer practice, and use personal days when I need to take care of my nana. More importantly, I am able to be my true self at work and at home. Talk about work/life balance!
The best part is, you can do it too.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?