Finding the energy to exercise when you’re feeling down in the dumps can be incredibly challenging. To most people, the word “exercise” is synonymous with grueling runs and exhausting workouts, however the truth is that you don’t have to sign up to the next marathon to experience the exercise benefits associated with battling anxiety, depression, and poor mental health. Exercise is not a complete cure for depression, only professional therapists can offer the true help that you need to achieve a new state of mind, however, regular physical activity can help.
It’s safe to say that finding the energy to crawl out of bed during the worst moments can be a serious struggle, but a little exercise could actually do a lot of good. In particular, aerobic exercise is fantastic for improving the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain, while having the increased benefit of releasing of plenty good-feeling endorphins into the body. So how can you take small doses of the exercise treatment?
Start by Meeting up with Friends
Socializing can be tough and tiring even when you don’t feel depressed, but contacting a friend can also be a fantastic source of support, without you even realizing it. Meeting a friend for a quick walk can be a salient way of combining moderate physical activity with casual social interaction.
Of course, simply talking to friends isn’t going to be enough to allow you to overcome depression completely. It’s important to realize that the issue of depression is a serious one, which must be dealt with on a medical level. More on that below.
Take the Dog for a Walk
A lot of people find that the thing that helps them the most with getting through depression is having a furry friend on standby. Dogs have a miraculous amount of energy and want to walk or run around on a daily basis, so you can combine your aerobic activity with looking after your beloved pet. If you don’t have your own dog, you can offer to walk a family members’, friends or neighbors, without the responsibility of having to keep on looking after the pet once your fun at the park is over.
Stay Motivated
Try to incorporate exercise as part of your overall plan for treating depression, which should also include sessions with a depression therapist. The more you do something on a regular basis, the more familiar you will find that it becomes. By building up a routine to follow during, before and after exercise, you’ll find the process itself becomes much easier.
When you’re out in the big wide world, try to focus as much as possible on the present moment that you’re in. Appreciate the nature around you, the animals, sounds, and smells that you come across. Try keeping a journal pointing out all of the fantastic things that you enjoyed about your experiences of the day, or take photos on your phone that you can share through social media.
Forcing yourself to stay in the present moment can be helpful when it comes to focusing on the things that you do have in your life. When depression is running rampant, it can be easy to forget that there are wonderful people around you, and sunny things in the world.