By Vickie Leff
Think about what helps you when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, frozen with anxiety, or sad. Based on my 25 years as a clinical social worker I would say that finding perspective and hope, setting attainable goals, and reminding yourself that you have succeeded in the past can really help. These are all things that running (or walking) can provide to you each and every time you lace up those shoes and hit the road. Knowing that I will feel a sense of relief, calm, and even satisfaction during and after I run helps me overcome the voices in my head telling me to go back to bed.
There are inherent elements of running that have the potential to impact your mental health and wellbeing:
The repetitious, mundane task of taking step after step can provide a lovely meditative state. Controlling your breathing, consciously taking breaths, slowing down, and counting your breaths all have the effect of focusing your brain on a tangible activity.
- Focusing on something concrete can take your mind away from worries and thoughts of the “what ifs” that tend to plague us all and create anxiety. If you have ever tried relaxation therapy, this is the same concept.
- Getting relief from stress (even if only for an hour) helps you manage things in a more productive way. It offers you a chance to gain perspective, think about options, review your situation, and refocus your efforts.
- Running gives you an opportunity to be “successful” that day. Building successful experiences is key to being able to face fear and uncertainty. Not that every run is terrific – quite the contrary. But the action of getting out there and trying IS success.
- Endorphins make you happy. Please note that those endorphins kick in only after a long period of exercise – but they are worth waiting for!
- It started for me a long time ago, as an oncology social worker, needing to find a way of relieving the overload of emotions, intensity, and frantic pace of working in a hospital. And as a clinician, I knew how important it was to find that relief – not only for my mental health but for the quality of my work. Running has proved to be the answer for me. And, running pretty much saved my sanity after having my second child and feeling completely overwhelmed!
Some folks like to run with others; I love to run alone. The time by myself offers me the chance to “let go,” relax, sing to my iPod music (no one wants to hear me sing!), talk to myself without anyone around, and think things through without interruption. How can that not be helpful for my wellbeing?
Whether you run or walk, run alone or with friends, run one mile or 15 – there is a reason why you feel better after you exercise, and why you keep doing it. It helps soothe your soul.
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Vickie Rance Leff, LCSW, CCM is the mother of two children, ages 18 and 16. She is the author of “RunnerMom: On The Go,” which is available on Amazon.com. At 44 she ran her first marathon (Camp Lejeune Marathon) and won her age division because she was the only one IN her age division. She also completed the 2002 Chicago Marathon, the 2002 New York Marathon, the 2003 and 2005 Boston Marathons, the Marine Corp Marathon 2011, and is in training for her second New York Marathon, 2012. She’s a back-of-the-pack runner who never comes in last. Visit her website at www.runnermom.com.
