Hey guys,
I am Claire founder and owner of Willsway Counselling Services. I am a qualified Person-Centred counsellor and registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) Claire Williams - therapist in marske-by-the-sea-ts11 | BACP and I’m super excited to share some top tips below, as I fully believe in a mind/body connection to healing, recovery, wellness, wellbeing and wholehearted, fully functional, authentic living.
So, I wanted to share a little more about mindset, mood, exercise and Mental Health and the benefits and limits we can use to both help and hinder ourselves.
Myth buster – Mental Health is nothing to be ashamed about – controversial I know! Seriously drop the stigma, we all must be mindful of our Mental Health as much as we do with our physical health, our brain is an organ, a muscle in the body that we need to train, work on, nurture, and nourish just like any other. Our brain is malleable and with practice we can create a positive mindset that serves us rather than sabotages us.
Sometimes we find ourselves in ‘well’ mental health whereby we can cope with the day-to-day changes of life and other times we find ourselves in ‘struggle’ and our mental health dips, if unnoticed and untreated this can lead to more serious mental health conditions and illnesses. But ideally, we want to catch ourselves before we get to that point.
So back to running – running replicates something called bilateral stimulation this is the left, right, left, right motion that balances the right (creative) and left (logic) side of the brain, alongside the front (reasoning) and back (emotional) parts of our brain.
In stimulating both sides of our brain we are better able to reduce stress and anxiety. Ever heard people say ‘I’m going for a walk/run to clear my head’ this is exactly what they are referring to. So, whether it be a 10K in the great outdoors or a quick 10mins on the treadmill our wellbeing benefits from this regular and rhythmic movement.
Outdoor running also stimulates our 5 senses - see, hear, taste, touch, smell this is great for grounding our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system comprises two parts- the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system activated fight or flight when our mind feels under threat, often without realising we, as adults spend a lot of our time in this state dealing with the day-to-day stresses, pressures, and expectations of life. This pushes adrenaline and cortisol into our system causing dysregulation making us feel tired, anxiety, have digestive and sleep issues, it also lowers our immune system making us more susceptible to colds and bugs. In time this will ultimately lead to a burnout whereby we struggle to cope in the way we normally would. Our parasympathetic nervous system restores the body to a state of calm, often referred to as the rest and digest system pumping dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins through the system allowing us to feel regulated and self-determining. We need to find ways to cultivate enough of this time to sustain us.
Running of any kind indoor or outdoor, alongside fast walking increases the heart rate pumping blood around the body faster, blood carries oxygen and this increase into our system allows for clearer thinking and cognition, it also helps to repair the body – this is also a great way of incorporating breathwork into your daily routine taking a long deep inhale through the nose and a nourishing exhale out the mouth. Other rhymical breathing exercises to do post run would be box breathing inhaling for 4 – holding your breath for 4, exhaling for 4, holding your breath for 4 and repeating the cycle 5 times. There is also 4-7-8 breathing for if you are feeling panic – take an exhale through the nose for 4, hold at the top for 7 and then push a long, deep exhale for 8. Our inhales lift, energize, and expand us, while our exhales ground and stabilize us so it is important in panic to have a longer outbreath.
Things running can improve;
Patience, Reduce Stress, improve sleep, encourage social interaction, enhance mood, Productivity, Boost memory, Improve cardio vascular health, Cognitive function, Confidence, Motivation, Connection, Goal setting, Physical and mental wellness, Nervous system regulation, good grounding, and a load of FUN!
So, whether you are competing in the latest Survivor Trail Challenge or going for a quick power walk round the block you mind, body, heart, and soul with thank you for this burst of energy!
Continue continuing, I got you, you got me, we got this ~ stronger together always! #willsway
