Activity Trumps Anxiety

“A study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety found the risk of anxiety and other related disorders was less among people with high self-reported physical activity, compared with people who had low physical activity levels. ‘Increasing physical activity should be considered a priority on preventing mental and physical chronic conditions and reducing overall mortality,’ researchers wrote.”- Healio (7/2/19)

Though I do not have a formal diagnosis, I admit 100% that I constantly struggle with managing anxiety. The greatest tool I have found for doing so is physical activity. For me, anxiety often manifests in a very physical manner – my heart races, I find myself shaking, my stomach gets upset…the works. So, why not address these physical symptoms, with physical activity? There are plenty of days when I work myself into a tizzy. When I feel that tizzy coming on, I bust out the door and head to the gym. If I am not able to go to the gym, I immediately take off on a run or start working out in the comfort of my own home. It is INCREDIBLE what exercise does for my anxiety. I’m not sure whether it’s the movement itself, the mental break from the thoughts that have been consuming me, the surge of confidence I feel when working out, the release of endorphins…but, I don’t really care! What I am sure of is the fact that exercise absolutely, 100% of the time, helps lessen my anxiety. Most of the time, I am able to exercise regularly to help prevent anxiety attacks and dwarf the tidal waves of anxious feelings into little ripples. But there are times when I feel anxious on a rest day. Rather than being so strict about my workout schedule and mandating that the plan must going accordingly (“I MUST take today off!”), I choose to utilize physical activity as a tool for fighting my anxiety. I am so grateful for the relief it has provided on me on countless occasions!!

If you are someone who also battles anxiety, I would love to learn what works for you in terms of anxiety management. If you have tried exercise before, or try it as a result of reading my experiences, I would love to hear how it went/goes! We are all in this together, my friends! 😊