(photo credit: Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash)
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Author’s note: Mental Health on the Rise will be in your inbox on the 5th of every month moving forward.
If you’re new to Mental Health on the Rise, I highly encourage you to read our welcome letter, as well as our first post.
Spring is so close I can almost smell the budding flowers. Spring is a time of rebirth, change, and, personally, kick-starting movement. The cold has kept us locked away for long enough, so now it’s time to get back into nature.
Every spring, I like to spend my days outside. But through the change in weather, we can begin to reconnect with nature. I like to take this time to walk and work through the anxieties that I may be having. It’s a habit that I have steadily built during the warm days throughout the year.
Exercise, even just walking, can help to improve mental health. This may be the perfect time to add exercise to your mental health care routine with spring fast approaching.
The research spotlight for March focuses on exercise as a treatment for anxiety. While last month’s newsletter focused on neuroscience, we will shift to research that we can replicate ourselves.
In the study conducted by the University of Gothenburg, participants with anxiety were recruited in Sweden. At least 50 percent of the participants had anxiety for the past decade, so at least half of the participants have lived with anxiety for nearly a decade.
Participants were randomly assigned to either a group exercise session with either moderate or strenuous activity for 12 weeks. The other group received information about healthy habits for exercise.
The results showed that the group with moderate or strenuous activity had reduced anxiety. Participants who entered the exercise program with high anxiety reported low anxiety at the end of the 12-week program.
Mindfulness for March is geared towards movement in the spirit of the exercise and getting out there. Mindfulness brings stillness to mind. For March, we will focus on mindfully walking.
Walking is a simple meditative practice that is often overlooked.
Sometimes a vigorous workout isn’t a possibility for some. Whether mobility issues, space, time, or safety issues can inhibit someone’s ability to perform vigorous exercise. But with a short walk every day, or a few times a week, you’ll feel the benefits from this movement.
Whether that walk happens on a treadmill, the track field at a local high school, or even in your own neighborhood—do it. During my walks, I try to focus on what I am doing at the moment.
On your next walk, trying paying attention to the following:
Your thoughts
Your feelings
Your body
Keep your focus on how this walk makes you feel, from your body to your mind. Observe your thoughts as if they are passing clouds in the sky. Notice your feelings and how they feel; become an observer to your own emotions. Pay attention to your body and how the movement feels from your toes to your hips and even to the tip of your nose.
Be patient and be present, taking this all one step at a time.
Understanding the Types of Toxic Families
The Warning Signs of a Toxic Relationship
Understanding the Pillars of Manipulation
What My Toxic Narcissist Has Taught Me
Understanding the Daily Struggles of Living with a Mental Health Disorder
Does a Narcissist Believe Their Own Lies?
OCD Can Potentially Cause Intimacy Issues
Understanding the Disorder Behind a Narcissist
Thank you so much for reading the second newsletter for Mental Health on the Rise! I appreciate all of the support! See you again on April 5th!
Find the companion Medium Publication: here
Stay Connected with This Author: https://linktr.ee/JenniferMarch13 (check out my ‘Story Spotlight’ to read more of my work! Happy reading! 🌞)