As we experience a culture that seems more focused on screen and keyboards, there is at the same time an epidemic of anxiety, stress, and depression. According to statistics, 11.3% of adults here have experienced a major depressive episode. (Women more than men). That’s a huge number for a country that has so many advantages.
My curiosity was triggered by an interview on NPR with Kelly McGonigal Ph.D. who has just written the book “The Joy of Movement; how exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection and courage”. I actually thought this title was ironic as there was a textbook of the same name, which was assigned me as a graduate somatic psychotherapy student 30 years ago!
Now Neuroscience can explain the “Natural high” that happens when you move. Exercise releases Dopamine (the pleasure hormone), Endorphins, and Endocannabinoids (which help us connect to others). Also, the byproducts of movement (producing lactic acid) can have an anti-anxiety and antidepressant effect on the brain!
Kelly talks of how movement (especially exercising outdoors) can quiet the ‘Default Mode Network’ of your thinking mind, which is often “relentlessly verbal” and when you keep Open Awareness ( see Mindfulness training) of your surroundings it helps to dissolve the “me” talk that is your default mode. She says it does not matter what kind of movement you engage in, but preferably something which feels pleasurable and rewarding to your particular body. In DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) I train folks to experience the advantages of twenty minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise to bring down emotional distress. You want your body to help calm your mind, which is often easier than expecting your cognitive minds to soothe you. Even in getting to sleep you can use visualizing or repeat gentle movement (listen to my Relaxation tracks) or tuning into the movement of your breathing or the blood circulating through you. This can ease you into the cycles of sleep that are often really challenging to tap into for today’s busy minds.
I really recommend that my clients explore the huge range of movement classes and exercise of all kinds that is available to everyone, either face to face with a teacher or on accredited sites online. It is necessary to have a consistent weekly routine to help with combating the tendency to vegetate in front of a screen or to isolate from others, or avoid fresh air, especially when you are depressed and lack motivation.
I can help you plan a more balanced lifestyle especially if you have a tendency towards stress, anxiety, and depression. I can also help you with the modality of Movement Therapy. Contact me!
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