1) Set an intention.
Acknowledge how you’re feeling before you commit to movement, says Life Time trainer Austin Head. “The first step to change is awareness.”
Once you acknowledge the issues you’re facing, set an intention to act. That act could be taking a group fitness class, going for a quick walk, or pausing to do a few yoga poses in your living room.
2) Lead with self-compassion.
“Intuitively, people know that movement would be good for their mood,” says integrative psychiatrist Henry Emmons, MD. However, he adds, it can be extremely difficult to mobilize yourself when you’re in the middle of a depressive episode. So, treat yourself with compassion.
There may be plenty of days when you need to take it easy; other days, you may be unable to exercise at all. Try not to judge yourself for it.
“It’s important that guilt or shame doesn’t get added on top of the difficulty the person has with getting themselves moving,” he says.
3) Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset.
Going in with a high-stakes mindset is a prescription for failure when you’re not feeling your best. “A lot of people have that all-or-nothing mindset when they’re in low states of mental health,” says therapist and performance coach Brie Vortherms, LMFT.
If you think your workouts must look a certain way to be worth doing, you probably won’t start — or you’ll quit the moment you can’t meet your strict, self-imposed standards.
4) Start small.
You may not have the energy or motivation for a long or intense workout when you’re depressed or overwhelmed with stress — and that’s OK. It doesn’t take much time or effort to feel the mental health benefits of exercise. “It has an effect on mood within minutes,” Emmons says.
Vortherms often tells clients to start with a 10-minute walk twice a week. If that seems too easy or difficult, pick something else that feels manageable.
5) Work out with a friend.
You don’t have to navigate movement and mental health alone. “It can be super helpful to have an exercise partner who can get you out for a walk; or if you like going to the gym, they can be there with you and make it a social event,” Emmons says.
Group fitness classes can also provide support and help you break out of a funk.
Moving for Mental Health
Exercise is a powerful tool for improving mental health: It can reduce stress, relieve depression and anxiety, and be a salve for loneliness, to name a few of its benefits. Delve into the many ways movement can serve as medicine for the mind at “7 Ways Movement Benefits Mental Health,” from which this article was excerpted.
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