Why exercise is a pain but such a boost

1. Why exercise is a pain but such a boost This Summer has been a bit different for me. I know, a bit of a strange thing to say since the last 2 years have been incredibly different for all of us. But usually, I would think about booking a Summer holiday for the family and we would all have a week or two away in July or August, depending on who is on holiday from university / what Summer job they have / and what my friends and my mum are doing. This year, everyone seemed to be doing something different. My son is in a new job, my daughter was travelling, my other son and his fiancée are madly saving for their wedding next year, my mum is beginning to find her feet after we lost my dad nearly 2 years ago and is starting to have some short breaks with friends. Even my partner has been busy dealing with various life events, helping his kids with stuff and fitting in work trips in between. So, I felt this would be a good time for me to focus on my business. Since Covid, my business like many others, has been much more online. It’s been an exciting time over the last 18 months, recording my online video courses for managing chronic pain and my mini course for overcoming insomnia. Also writing books and developing workbook diaries to go with the courses and making relaxation videos and other resources to help people. This has all been a massive learning curve for me, and in between of course, I now run my CBT psychology clinics face to face, through Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp, and all of the other mediums we never dreamed we would be using to help people deal their problems before 2 years ago. What I had not factored in, was how difficult it can be to deal with all the stress without having a proper break every now and again. If I am at home, I end up doing other chores, instead of taking time out to do even simple things like sit on my swing seat for half and hour and read my book. And of course, the less time I allow myself to switch off, the more I notice feeling worried about people and work and unable to keep things in perspective. However, what I do have is a routine which I feel helps to keep me on track with my mental health and I am very grateful for it. At the beginning of the week, I do a dance

2. class, first thing in the morning. Often, I wake up and think – “yes, but I have so much to do, maybe it’s better to do that instead”. Fortunately, I go on automatic, and once I am in the class and concentrating on the steps, I can feel myself unwind, my head starts to clear, and my decisions about plans for the week seem much easier to make once I am physically relaxed. Mix this together with some lovely friends in the class, whom I love having a coffee with afterwards, and I have a great start to my week. Similarly, at the end of the week I try to get to a yoga class. This is good for me as I use it as my “yay, the weekend starts here” time. In order to do the class, I am often rushing to get finished from work, and battling through the traffic, thinking “why am I even trying to do this? This is not relaxing!”. But, once I’m there, in a calm atmosphere, where I have to listen and concentrate, I can feel my body unwinding and I am so glad I made the effort. I find it so helpful for my mental health to try and do this type of “time out” each week. It definitely slows my worrying down and gives me some time to think “ok, what do I really want to do about “A”, “B” or “C” problem” in a much more constructive way. I am also better able to look around me and notice the lovely things that are out there, and just noticing nature or some lovely scenery, which can be so important when I am spending a lot of time helping people to deal with a lot of pain and challenges. I feel very grateful to be able to do my classes regularly, but when you are looking after yourself it doesn’t need to be anything difficult when it comes to exercise. A gentle walk around the park, or visiting a favourite place you love with a friend can be just as therapeutic and beneficial. And actually, although routine may sound boring, doing it at a regular time, on automatic so you don’t argue with yourself, can be the best way to boost your mood and clear your head from worry for a while. Enjoy.