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I personally find that exercise only contributes to good mental health outcomes when it is part of a system that monitors and directly, daily, addresses issues
by themodelplumber 8y ago
I personally find that exercise only contributes to good mental health outcomes when it is part of a system that monitors and directly, daily, addresses issues of physical exhaustion. Experiencing exhaustion and a desire to push through it was my personal #1 link to depression and anxiety. I found that just laying in bed and relaxing has a much higher likelihood of vanquishing my depression and anxiety than exercise ever did, and exercise, even a simple walk, can actually make the symptoms worse by contributing to the exhaustion.
This is _my own analysis and experience_, of course, so YMMV. There are additional important approaches to anxiety, like identifying stressors that need to be addressed (situations, goals, relationships, etc.) and attending to various facets that contribute to a feeling of purpose and promise. But after learning to look at my symptoms through the lens of "exhaustion" (whether it be productivity exhaustion or fitness-induced) I no longer suffer from chronic severe anxiety and depression, and my psychiatrist long ago pronounced me cured. Some people here may benefit so I share this in case it helps.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoFor the exercise itself I find that it's not the exhaustion, but the mental effort it takes to really push hard sort of resets my mental processes - I train powerlifting, so those 30 seconds where I'm going "this bar is going to kill me if I don't keep going" really changes my mental affect once I get out from under the bar.
- themodelplumber 8y agoYes, what I'm describing would be like powerlifting on a couple hours of sleep, daily. That kind of emotional / depressive outcome, where one has not attended to their exhaustion level and jumps in to perform, as opposed to powerlifting under more typical or optimal circumstances which I'm sure has some really positive mental outcomes.
- bergerjac 8y agoInstead of the bar killing you, what if you flipped the script and went I'm going to dominate this bar
- antisthenes 8y agoUse whatever you find effective at helping you get through those 5-6 reps, tbh.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoAnd sometimes that's feeling like an invincible lifting machine, other times it's the fear or getting pinned under a quarter ton of iron in front of a whole gym.
- natalyarostova 8y agoInteresting. Lying in bed is pretty much my #1 link for depression and anxiety (unless I'm sleep deprived and need to sleep).
- 121789 8y agoSame here. And exercise immediately cures it. I wonder why OP is physically exhausted so much
- themodelplumber 8y agoDon't limit it to "physically", just imagine a person who pushes themselves really hard in all aspects of life. That pretty much describes who I was. Beyond a productive person, more like a natural stress-bringer.
- collyw 8y agoPersonally I find physical exhaustion, from a long hike for example, a lot more pleasant than mental exhaustion. The first feels positive (helps me sleep well), the second feels negative.
- themodelplumber 8y agoWell, a lot of people automatically lay down or stay in bed when they already feel depressed or anxious. It's a good position, as "laying down doing nothing" is pretty much as close to minimizing one's own metabolic rate, nervous system usage, etc. as possible. However I'd say that "laying down because it's all I can do" and "laying down as a conscious way of attending to my personal exhaustion" are two different states of being, with an important difference. The first could easily raise one's anxiety if it seems counter to "what needs to be done" while the second approach is part of a more analytical process (at least in my case) which is hopefully accompanied by fail-overs and follow-ons, like addressing stressors, mentioned above.
- shanxS 8y agoCouldn't agree more. Exhausting myself physically during work week some how makes me feel better about myself. Maybe because in process I achieve my fitness goals or maybe I am surrounded by people who do the same and appreciate it, so it gives me a feeling of belonging. What ever the reason, working out makes me happy.