1. Exercise begins with psychological self-help
I don’t know if you have this feeling: when you are feeling low, even if you just go downstairs for a walk, the mood will be inexplicably relaxed. I used to think that exercise is to lose weight or shape up, until one day the pressure is too much to breathe, I found that exercise is also a psychological “self-help”.
I’m an average office worker, sitting in front of a computer for at least eight or nine hours a day. Over time, not only the neck stiffness, shoulder pain, the mood is becoming more and more irritable. Especially overtime into the night, a lying down brain is still turning, insomnia has become the norm. Later, on the recommendation of a friend, I tried to go jogging for half an hour after work every day.
2. Exercise isn’t just about sweat, it’s about dopamine
To be honest, it was really painful at first. When I first started running, my breath was short, my legs were heavy, and I wanted to give up after five minutes. Especially to see others easily run ten kilometers, even one kilometer of their own efforts, the psychological gap is particularly large. But the magic is that every time you stick to it, the whole person becomes a lot easier, especially the brain is clear, and the mood is stable. You fall asleep faster at night and feel much better the next day.
After a few weeks, I noticed that the little things that used to drive me crazy, like the train coming a few minutes late or my co-workers sounding a little tougher, didn’t seem to bother me as much. A calmer state of mind and significantly less anxiety. Exercise not only improves my sleep and physical state, but more importantly, it affects my mood and personality.
Later, I looked up some information to understand that during exercise, the brain will release dopamine, endorphins, these “happy hormones”, can effectively relieve stress and anxiety, and even known as natural antidepressants. Some studies have also shown that aerobic exercise is almost as effective as counseling and medication for mild depression.
Although exercise can’t solve all the problems in life, it can give us an outlet to breathe before we are about to break down emotionally. Every run or sweat is like a reconciliation with myself, reminding me that when my body moves, my mind won’t be trapped all the time.
3. Feel more in control of your life
But it’s not just chemistry that changes things. The biggest change for me was actually a sense of control.
The pace of modern life is too fast, mobile phones ring constantly, work never gets done, and many times we feel like we are wound up, pushed forward by time and tasks. You wake up with a to-do list, and you close with unread information. Over time, people begin to develop a sense of “loss of control” – not that we are living, but that life is pushing us.
But when I’m running, the world seems to slow down. The headphones put soothing music, footsteps and breathing to form their own rhythm, even if the traffic is heavy, noisy, my heart is quiet. For half an hour, I didn’t have to speak, didn’t have to respond to messages, just focused on who I was in the moment. There is no push, no performance, no KPI, just me and the road under my feet. This state of purity and concentration is something I hardly experience in my daily life.
You could say it was an escape, but I prefer to call it “finding myself.” In the process of movement, I re-talk with my body, re-feel the rhythm and breathing, and re-find the self that can slow down, can focus, can empty. Even if it’s just for half an hour, that sense of “ownership” of my time is enough to help me resist the chaos and exhaustion of the day.
And, over time, I’ve found that exercise has made me less susceptible to outside influence. I’m more emotionally stable, I’m more decisive in my decisions. Perhaps this is another manifestation of “feeling in control” : not controlling everything, but being able to steady oneself in the face of life’s uncertainties.
4. Every type of exercise has its own form of healing
Later, I tried yoga, swimming, hiking, and different sports gave me different feelings.
- Yoga made me re-understand the body and found that many emotions are hidden in the body, such as long-term hunchback and inner self-confidence;
- Swimming is a kind of extreme relaxation, the feeling of being surrounded by water makes people feel as safe as returning to the mother’s womb;
- Walking is more like a spiritual journey, walking in nature, -a “noise” in the heart will come down from itself.
5. Exercise is not a panacea, but it can help you become stronger
Of course, exercise is not a panacea. It cannot solve all problems, pay your mortgage for you, or make your boss suddenly kind and your work easier. Reality remains reality, and the difficulties of life will not disappear just because you have run a few kilometers. But the significance of exercise is never about “solving problems”, but rather enabling us to have greater resilience when facing these problems.
When a person is physically and mentally exhausted, they are easily defeated by trivial matters. What sports bring is not only physical strength but also mental resilience. It offers you an outlet when you are in a low mood and a bit of confidence when pressure comes. It’s like life has dealt you a bad hand of cards; sports won’t improve the cards, but it gives you the strength and composure to play each one without panic.
Exercise also makes us realize that we are “in control”. You can choose to get up, go out and sweat without waiting for any opportunity or approval from others. This process initiated and completed by yourself will gradually build up the belief in your subconscious that “I can change something”. And this belief is particularly valuable when facing the uncontrollable aspects of life.
Even if it’s just thirty minutes a day, it’s enough to become an inner support. Not to become a stronger person to conquer the world, but to maintain one’s own pace and integrity in this ever-changing world.
6. Give yourself a chance to move
So, if you’ve been feeling down lately, lacking energy, and even find it exhausting to open the curtains, why not give yourself a chance to move? It doesn’t have to be intense, nor do you need to set grand goals right from the start. Even something as simple as walking 5,000 steps a day, taking a lap around your neighborhood, or doing a few sets of stretches at home is a start.
You’ll find that even a light sweat or just a few minutes of movement can loosen up your mood. Often, it’s not that we truly “can’t do it,” but that we’ve been trapped by our emotions for too long and need a gentle nudge to awaken our inherent vitality.
This vitality doesn’t need to please anyone or achieve any specific goal; it exists simply for you. It’s like lighting a lamp, allowing you to see your own rhythm and direction again amidst the hustle and chaos of life.
Finally, I would like to share a quote that I really like:
“Sports are not about changing the way others see you, they are about changing the way you see the world.”
