Exercises can calm those anxious thoughts.

Exercise

Running is my favorite activity and has allowed me the time to process some of the hardest things in my life. There are so many reasons that physical activity in research has been shown to be as good or better than antidepressants for both depression and anxiety. One is that when we move or do a moderate to heavy physical activity we are putting ourselves into sympathetic mode or our natural stress response this may not sound positive but going into this mode and moving through it allows you to more easily slide into parasympathetic mode when you are done with the activity. Also it lowers your inflammation in the body and we now that mental illness is negatively affected by inflammation. If you choose to move outside the fresh air and sunshine will help with your circadian rhythm.

Just those reasons alone are enough to make it a priority in your life. When I work with people to start moving and carving out time we first look at the motivation and look at trying to find a way to move that they will love. Many people love moving with friends or family. Starting with a buddy will help get you out the door and help you keep you word.