Those who know me personally know I usually like to keep things light. With my next race not finishing up until this weekend, I wanted to take some time and write about something more serious that holds significance for me. It is a topic that hits very close to home for myself as well as several special people in my life.
This mysterious entity can be brought on by many things: financial problems, relationship difficulties, loss of someone close, abuse, and all different sorts of life circumstances. It can be caused by something as simple as a hormonal imbalance in your body from a genetic disposition or changes through pregnancy or puberty. It can be as a result of certain illnesses and different conditions: stress, sleep apnea, cancer, stroke, diabetes, substance abuse. The list goes on.
It doesn’t matter the root, it’s all the same. The inner voice of negativity does not leave you alone. The constant questioning of “why bother?”, “why would I put myself through that?”, and “what’s the point?”. These types of questions fog your every thought. No motivation, complete apathy, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, the feeling that the drought of joy will be unending, and a black cloud of emptiness and hopelessness that doesn’t seem like it will ever pass. All the while you are trying to put up the façade that everything is alright and that you’re “okay/fine/never better”.
Words will never do it justice.
The prevalence of mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety, is staggering. It has always been a concern for adults and, more and more, it is becoming a concern for young adults. Life can be a pressure cooker: pressure from family, pressure at work or school, pressure from friends, pressure from the media. And, if all this pressure is left unchecked, it can have dire consequences.
With that I pose a question. Food is the most abused anxiety drug. Exercise is the most under-utilized antidepressant. Why?
I don’t want to get too science-geeky here, but, suffice it to say, that study after study after study has shown that, to quote Science, “exercise is an effective but very underused antidepressant for mild to moderate depression.” (Science, 1983).
For the average person the hardest part about working out is just getting to the starting point. Driving to the local gym or to the soccer field. Sitting on the stairs, staring at the running shoes and willing them to tie themselves. Looking at the bike from the couch, collecting dust – both you and the bike. How many times have you talked yourself out of that workout for the sake of convenience or in the name of Netflix? The most difficult part is starting. From there on, it’s clear.
When dealing with depression or anxiety, that feeling of no motivation is multiplied by 10, squared to the power of 12, and might as well have pi (the number, people, not the dessert!) thrown in there somewhere too. It’s immense and it can be crippling.
Unfortunately, the one easy cure-all pill is not out there. All I can offer for someone going through this and, actually, for anyone in general is to find something you truly enjoy doing that gets you moving. Hockey, tennis, hiking, running, wrestling, cycling, squash, quidditch, karate (HADOUKEN!), full contact bocce ball (how cool would this be!?), zorb soccer (it’s a thing, seriously – youtube it!). There is so much out there to get you going to boost those mood-enhancing endorphins. Invite someone close to you to join you and rekindle that old passion with a past sport/hobby, or try something new looks fun and be completely bad at it. Just enjoy it! Moving around, getting the blood flowing awakens something in us. We are humans. We were meant to move, to play, to sweat, to enjoy and to be social. There’s an advertisement campaign out right now by Reebok. The slogan is “Be More Human”. Somewhat cheesy, but I like the premise as it relates to what I am speaking about. Move, play, sweat, enjoy, and be social. Be more of that. Be more human.
If you, or someone you love, is going through a bout of depression, please get help (or help them get help). It is an awful thing to go through, especially alone, but there are people and groups out there to support you and, under proper guidance, medication to help you as well. There is light at the end, every nightmare has an awakening, and every bad day has an end.
Trust me, please, as someone who has been there.
Jonathon Schouten
Professional Training Coach
Innovative Fitness Abbotsford
www.InnovativeFitness.com
