When the going gets tough, we should all keep moving
QHow does one find the will to exercise when stressed and anxious?
AJust reading this question triggered us. Many have spoken about our nation’s collective post-traumatic stress disorder. Well, the knob has just been turned to “full” and even the Water Cooler struggled to find the willpower to do anything as our country burnt, let alone exercise.
“Oh look, there goes another Makro, let’s do a burpee.” Let’s be honest — when set against the reality and gravity of what’s going on, it might seem futile at best and selfish at worst to think about exercise. But it’s not.
The Water Cooler does understand your question. Between midnight and 2am every day last week, obsessively scrolling through Twitter to make sure nothing had been missed, the author lost control of his breathing; his pulse burst painfully in his head. His hands trembled. He wondered: “Does Yusuf Abramjee ever sleep?”
Instead of asking how to exercise when you’re stressed, you should be exercising to reduce stress. Stress can kill you. Probably a bit quicker than social media will kill human civilisation.
Forget SkyNet — we hold the key to Armageddon in our hands every day. Yet some among us feel entitled to burn down the fabric of our humanity hiding behind 280 characters and a hashtag. Twitter really is like an inflamed pimple you just can’t resist squeezing. Yet if we just left it alone, it wouldn’t leave a scar.
Moving — walking, cleaning the house, taking the steps, running, doing burpees with the TV off, anything — is one of the most important tools at your disposal to manage stress.
Leading mental health website HelpGuide, which has dedicated an entire section to dealing with large-scale traumatic events, lists a few ways to manage stress.
The first tip is limiting media exposure. This isn’t asking you to bury your head in the sand. That’s the government’s job. It is saying don’t obsessively consume the media that’s causing anxiety, such as trolling social media accounts whose sole purpose for existing is to seed hatred and fear.
The site also suggests accepting your feelings: allow yourself to feel what you feel. If what you feel is hateful — please just stay away from your phone and lock yourself in your room.
Then, it says, challenge your sense of helplessness by offering to do something constructive to make a difference. Amazing how this is playing out on a grand scale, isn’t it?
Reach out to others instead of retreating, and prioritise your diet and sleep.
However, the most relevant intervention — for this column, at least — is to start moving again as soon as possible. “It may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re experiencing traumatic stress, but exercising can burn off adrenaline and release feelgood endorphins to boost your mood. Physical activity performed mindfully can also rouse your nervous system from that ‘stuck’ feeling and help you move on from the traumatic event,” the website says.
You can tap into this mindfulness by focusing on the sound and sensation of your feet hitting the ground, listening to the rhythm of your breath, or feeling the wind on your skin.
The site suggests “rhythmic” exercise that uses both your arms and your legs, such as walking, running, swimming, basketball or dancing”.
Dust off those old tracks and turn up the volume, says HelpGuide, because it will trigger a bit of a bop and a dance, which will cascade into more, and your energy levels will rise as a result.
Look, you could open thousands of web pages and find tips, counting tricks, hand massages, breathing techniques and much more. Find a few that work for you, but don’t find solace in nicotine, alcohol and other drugs.
And remember, go easy on yourself. If you have taken a few days off, it’s OK and probably good for you. However, try to start moving as soon as you can, and the routine will slowly reform itself.