I have been going through a bit of a hard time recently. Life has thrown some unexpected shit my way, and my motivation has been up and down to say the least. The old me probably would have used this as an excuse to “take a break” from my fitness routine. Whenever something went wrong in my life my self care went down the drain.
These past 6 months I’ve decided to take a new approach to the way I deal with adversity. This time I used my fitness as an outlet, I poured every single one of my emotions into moving my body (which looked very different on different days). The emotions were still there, and I still had to move through them, but taking that one hour to myself 4-5x a week allowed me the space to process the things I needed to process. I am not suggesting that exercise is some magic pill that will transform your mental health, it is simply a tool and healthy outlet to help with something you are struggling to move through.
According to mental heath blog Talkspace, exercise is by no means a substitute for medication and psychiatric care, it can diffuse excess anxious energy. Working out regulates adrenaline, the chemical that gives us our fight-or-flight response to danger. It’s been shown by many studies and meta-analyses that exercise is associated with reduced anxiety in clinical settings.
I’d like to lay out the process that I used for you to try during the days you need an extra push, when you just feel it’s all not worth it. And as always, if you are struggling (with fitness or life) I’m here to listen!
Xoxo
Nichole
Give yourself some space
If you’ve just been hit with heart shattering, deeply disturbing news give yourself space. Cry about it, hit a pillow, call a friend. Your emotions need to just be heard before you can work on healing them. If this process is carrying on for longer than you’d like, set an expiration date. Pity parties are necessary sometimes, but they are also like that last friend who doesn’t get the hint to leave the party. You gotta kick her out eventually. Plan to reevaluate your goals in 3 months.
Don't set crazy expectations for yourself
Is this the time you should be hyper focused on losing those 20lbs you’ve been insecure over? Probably not. Crazzzyyy things can happen to your body when you’re working on releasing emotional baggage so it is absolutely possible, but the key is not adding MORE pressure onto yourself during this time. You should view this exercise routine as more therapeutic than anything.
Have options for different motivation levels
Your motivation is going to be like a rollercoaster when you’re dealing with emotional shit. I promise you there WILL be days when you aren’t even going to want to leave your bed, and that’s okay! This is a long term lifestyle and no one is perfect 100 percent of the time. I signed up for class pass and utilized group fitness a lot throughout the last 6 months. I quickly realized my normal lifting routine was not enough to get me going all the time, and I always had a class to fall back on.
I suggest you pick 4 different ways to move your body and number them based on how much motivation & effort it takes to complete. Then the day of your workout if you find you’re just not feeling the heavy lift you had planned you have 3 other options to move your body while still prioritizing your self care. AND because you allowed yourself a little break when you needed it, you will be more likely to crush your lift the next day! Here is an example of the list I’ve been using. 1 is what requires the most motivation, 4 requires the least:
Heavy lift
Boxing or yoga on class pass
Just move your body lift
Meditation using insight timer app (totally recommend and it’s free!)
*note that not all of these options have to be physically exerting. I meditated and took a walk sooo many times and didn’t feel bad about it at all.
Don't feel that you have to do this all alone
When you are stuck in your own head NOTHING gets accomplished. Emotional release work takes a team and I wouldn’t be anywhere near who I am today without the help of my therapists over the years. I truly believe that reaching out to a therapist when you are feeling overwhelmed should be just as normal as reaching out to a doctor when you have the flu or break a bone. Although the stigma is getting smaller mental health is not talked about nearly enough. Below are a couple of great resources to get started if reaching out to someone feels right for you.
Search your location and insurance. You get a bio for each therapist so you can see who fits well with your needs
Call the phone number and you can talk directly with someone to help find a therapist that is right for you
Not ready to see someone in person? Better help has qualified, professional, and affordable therapists that all work remotely