Hi everyone – many of you might know me as a coach at Fitness Soul and might have tried one of my kettlebell classes.
In advance of Fitness Soul’s charity event for mental health I thought this would be a good time to share my own history with mental health and what works for me when dealing with this.
I have experienced moderate depression on and off since I was in my teens, and what is most amazing looking back is that I didn’t even admit this to myself until I was in my early 30’s (i’m 44 now).
This is how strong the stigma is/was and we are still working to break this down even now.
Of course once we can be open with any struggles we are having (I still find this difficult tbh) we can develop our own strategies for managing these issues.
Here are some things that work for me –
- If things seem OK in your life and you still feel bad, try and tell someone you trust. Easier said than done! It can take a huge effort to admit these issues, but once they are in the open for people you trust then you can find strategies that work
- Try to keep moving! Activity is a huge help, even if it’s just going for a walk.
- If you need to take time out, take it. There are times in the past when I’ve had something planned and not been in a great place but tried to tough it out. This can be counterproductive. If you’ve booked a dinner out or to go and see a movie but feel you can’t face it then that’s fine! Do what’s best for yourself.
This is where Fitness Soul played a big part for me – I could get exercise and social contact without any pressure or judgement no matter what state of mind I was in.
I knew it would always be a welcoming environment, and if you can find something in your life that fills this role then you are very lucky.
Grant
