Discover the powerful connection between mental health and exercise. Learn how exercise positively impacts emotional well-being and boosts your mood.
There is so much more to mental health than just anxiety or depression. As someone who has experienced the struggles of anxiety, postpartum depression, and self-doubt, I understand the challenges someone can face in dealing with stress and hard days. That’s why I decided to write this blog post on the role of exercise in mental health, sharing my journey and the positive impact it has had on me.
My mental health journey began after the birth of my daughter two years ago. My anxiety levels were so high, and I started experiencing signs of postpartum depression. I cried most days, suffered panic attacks, and found myself wanting to just stay at home due to a sense of grief and loss of identity. Time anxiety and self-doubt only added to the struggle. It was a difficult journey, but over a year ago, I made the decision to make a change. This significantly improved my mental well-being. I am excited to share how exercise, even just 10 minutes a day, can boost your mood and contribute to better mental health.
I understand that fitting a workout into a busy lifestyle can feel impossible. But before I share the link between mental health and exercise, I will share some ways that have helped me fit exercise into my busy schedule. I believe these strategies can work for you too, no matter how busy your life may be.
Let’s explore the powerful connection between mental health and exercise and witness the transformative impact it can have on our lives.
This post is all about mental health and exercise.
Mental Health And Exercise
How To Fit Exercise in Your Busy Lifestyle
Before I share how exercise has such an important role in improving not only our physical health but our mental health too, I want to share a few tips on how you can fit exercise into your daily routine despite your busy lifestyle.
I know finding the time in your everyday busy lives can be very tough. But I remember reading a quote that said that time is not found but created and it all makes sense. Despite our busy lives, how many times do we find ourselves stuck to our phones mindlessly scrolling for an hour or so? If that is the case then you can definitely create time to fit some form of exercise in your day.
10 to 20 minutes of exercise every day (with 1-2 days of rest) can make a huge difference to your mental health. So here are some tips to help you fit exercise into your busy lives:
1. Set Realistic Goals
Start by setting realistic and achievable exercise goals. Consider your time constraints and choose a workout routine that you can realistically commit to, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. Like I said above, even 10 minutes will make a huge difference, so if you can only fit that in, then that is enough to experience the emotional benefits of physical activity.
2. Make Exercise A Priority
We tend to prioritize so many things in our lives every day. If we have an appointment we write it down in our schedules and ensure we attend the appointment. Or we know that we need to start work at 9, so we ensure we are at work by 9 every day. So guess what will happen once you start making exercise a non-negotiable task? It becomes a priority!
So schedule it in your calendar – whether that is when you wake up, before your morning shower or breakfast, or during your lunch break, etc. I can guarantee you can find 10 to 20 minutes during your day.
3. Combine Exercise with Daily Activities
Look for opportunities to sneak in exercise during your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the lift (elevator for my American readers), do squats while brushing your teeth, or go for a brisk walk during your lunch break. As funny as it seems, this really works!
4. Home workouts
People really underestimate how effective home workouts are! A lot of people feel the need or pressure to go to the gym to get a workout done. Traveling to the gym and back home is time-consuming in your already busy life. The gym is not your only solution to getting yourself to work out. This is all in your head.
People are more likely to stay consistent with home workouts than gym workouts because it is manageable and offers flexibility in choosing workout times that suit your schedule.
5. Be Flexible
Finally, I felt like it was important to mention flexibility. This is because you need to understand that life can get busy, and there may be days when you can’t stick to your workout plan. Be kind to yourself and don’t get discouraged. The key is to stay consistent over the long term. And the tips above will help you do exactly that.
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Benefits Of Exercise On Mental Health
1. Release Of Happy Hormones
Exercise can release ‘happy hormones’, also known as neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that contribute to feelings of happiness, pleasure, and well-being. Some of the happy hormones that are released are serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins.
For example, exercise can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating mood, sleep, and appetite. Higher levels of serotonin are associated with a more positive mood and a reduced risk of depression and anxiety. And believe me when I tell you, on my hardest days. a 10 – 20 minute workout has done exactly that – putting me in a more positive mood.
Next time you are just laying down on your bed or sitting on the sofa feeling sluggish, low in energy, or anxious. Get up, do a 10-minute dance workout or any type of workout you wish, and just watch those happy hormones get released.
2. Stress Reduction
Many people think when it comes to mental health, it is only about those who struggle with anxiety, depression, or other serious areas of mental health issues. However, stress is also something that affects our mental health and many of us go through stress in our busy lives.
One of the emotional benefits of exercise is the reduction in the levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, in the body. This can lead to a decrease in feelings of anxiety and tension, promoting a calmer and more relaxed state of mind. The type of exercise you can do for this can be as simple as going out for a walk, maybe if you are a student or worker you may want to take a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or walk to or from work.
If you are a parent, like myself, then you can do something that has helped me many times during moments of stress. And that is a dance workout that I can do with my 2-year-old which she absolutely loves too! This gets her moving and exercising too which is super important for our kids. So it is a win-win!
3. Increased Self-Esteem And Confidence
Regular exercise and achieving fitness goals can boost self-esteem and self-confidence. I never quite understood this point before – I always wondered how can an increase in self-esteem and confidence from exercise help with my mental health. However, I found this can help with your mental health and boost your mood because it can positively impact how we perceive ourselves due that increased self-esteem and confidence.
A lot of the time, our anxiety or stress and even depression can come from how we see ourselves and the self-doubt we feel. When I get a workout done, I immediately feel like I can accomplish anything. This immediately reduces any stress or anxiety I feel.
4. Distraction and Mindfulness
Exercise often requires focus and concentration, which can act as a form of mindfulness. This can help you take a break from your worries and negative thoughts.
I find this the truest with strength training exercises as I really need to have that muscle-mind connection. A distraction from any negative thoughts and a combination of a release of happy hormones has resulted in many times shifting my negative thoughts to more positive ones.
5. Improved Sleep
Exercise has been linked to better sleep quality. Improved sleep can help with our mental health by regulating our emotions and reducing our cortisol levels, a stress hormone, The reduction in stress hormones can lead to decreased anxiety and a calmer state of mind.
This is so true because the days I do not get enough sleep I wake up the most stressed and anxious the next day. I know as a parent with a little one this can be tough. So if you find yourself stressed on most days because of a lack of sleep, try going to bed at least an hour early or get your partner to wake up in the morning to do the morning routine so you can get at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of a lay-in.
Whatever you do, just make sure you catch up on sleep by taking a nap with your little one or sleeping early. Everything else can wait because your mental health matters more.
Wellness Activities For Mental Health
Although exercise has a very powerful role in improving our mental health, there are also other wellness activities to do to improve your mental health. It is not just exercise that you should be doing to look after your mental well-being. Here are other wellness activities for mental health:
Self Care
The type of self-care activity you do is totally up to you. The important thing is you schedule this like you would schedule your workouts. Make the time to rewind and recharge. As I understand that fitting in self-care time can be tough when we have a busy lifestyle, this is why I ensure that I incorporate self-care every single day in my daily routine. For example, through my morning routine and night routine.
Other self-care activities that do not require much time are reading a book, taking a shower and doing your skincare, or simply just watching your favourite show whilst eating your favourite snack at the end of the day. When you do some acts like this mindfully, it can significantly help your mental health.
Check out this blog for some self-care activities for your mind, body, and soul.
Proper Nutrition
Eating well is another way to improve your mental well-being. This is because it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. For example, balanced meals with complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. Fluctuations in blood sugar can lead to mood swings, irritability, and fatigue. By maintaining stable blood sugar, you can promote a more consistent and stable mood.
If eating well is a huge struggle for you, then check out my blog post where I have shared very easy-to-follow meal-planning tips for busy individuals. Click HERE for the post. Meal planning and prepping is your solution to eating well whether you have a busy lifestyle or not.
Journaling
I was going to write about social support as another wellness activity for your mental health but I know that speaking to someone can be the toughest thing you do. So I decided journaling is the best alternative. Journaling provides a safe and private space to express and process emotions. Writing about your feelings, experiences, and thoughts can help you release built-up emotions, reducing stress and anxiety.
Also, in the same notebook you can write things you are grateful for which I found has helped with my mental health significantly. Writing down things you are thankful for, can shift your focus toward the positive aspects of life. Regularly acknowledging and appreciating the good things can improve your well-being.
JOURNAL NOTEBOOK
I hope you found these tips helpful and make a significant improvement to your mental well-being as they have for me.
Make sure to follow my socials – Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Amazon Storefront, and LikeToKnowIt – for more healthy lifestyle content!
Lots of love, Mariam x
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This post was all about mental health and exercise.
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