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Together for mental health
The theme of Mental Health Awareness Month 2022 is “Together for Mental Health.” According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, "Mental health is an incredibly important part of overall health. With a growing number of Americans suffering from mental health symptoms, we must come together to work to improve our nation's mental health system."
So, on one level, this issue focuses on those in the mental health community who are uniting their voices and efforts to advocate for improved access to mental health care. And this is extremely important work. At a basic level, Together for Mental Health can also be interpreted as individuals coming together to support each other on their personal mental health journeys.
One of the keys to balanced mental health is a sense of community. No one likes to be – or feel like – alone, especially in difficult times. Reaching out to friends who may need your support and being open to receiving support when you need it yourself is an essential element of our collective mental health.
When it comes to establishing and maintaining a physical activity routine, a community of like-minded people who share your goals provides essential social support and is one of the main factors in predicting long-term success. So why not combine these two goals and join forces with friends and loved ones to be physically active and provide emotional support through conversation and togetherness while you move?
Let's explore the connection between exercise and mental well-being. Regular exercise improves mental health in several important ways:
- Übung erhöht die Produktion von Neurotransmittern, die die Produktion neuer Gehirnzellen stimulieren können.
- Zu lernen, wie man neue Dinge tut – einschließlich neuer Arten von Übungen – kann die Kognition und geistige Schärfe verbessern.
- Sport kann Ihr Selbstwertgefühl steigern, indem er ein Gefühl der Leistung und des Erfolgs vermittelt, was sich direkt auf Ihre geistige Gesundheit auswirkt.
- Bewegung kann den Schlaf verbessern, ein oft übersehenes Element einer guten psychischen Gesundheit.
- Übung kann eine Pause von Ihrer geschäftigen Routine bieten. Sich Zeit zu nehmen, um etwas für das eigene körperliche und seelische Wohlbefinden zu tun, ist unerlässlich. Viele Menschen mit Angstzuständen oder Depressionen nutzen Bewegung als positiven Bewältigungsmechanismus.
- Als Teil einer Gruppe zu trainieren – und hier kommt die Zweisamkeit ins Spiel – ist eine Gelegenheit, sich zu vernetzen, Freundschaften zu schließen und sich als Teil einer positiven und unterstützenden Gemeinschaft zu fühlen.
You can enhance some of these benefits by exercising outside, which reduces feelings of tension and anger and allows for the absorption of vitamin D, which can actually help you manage depressive symptoms. Exercising outdoors enhances the benefits of exercise, as contact with nature has been linked to improvements in mental health, including stress reduction, improved mood and improved cognitive function.
You can also improve mental health by incorporating mindfulness techniques into your everyday life. This can take many forms, including mindful movement, which goes beyond traditional practices like yoga, tai chi, and qigong, to walking, cycling, and rowing, all of which can be made more mindful if you focus on the repetitive movements, your breathing pattern, and how your body feels as it moves through space. Meditation, prayer, and breathing exercises are also great options.
So, how does social support help?
You can certainly reap the benefits of exercising alone, but your chances of long-term adherence improve significantly if you exercise as part of a group or with a friend or family member. Social support provides companionship, accountability, and motivation, and makes physical activity much more fun. Simply knowing that a friend is counting on you to show up makes it more likely that you will—and this is a two-way street that also helps keep your friend on track.
One final thought: No matter what type of exercise you choose, whether alone, with a partner, or as part of a group exercise class, embracing a sense of gratitude can do wonders for your mental health. View exercise as a celebration of what you are capable of, rather than something that highlights your limitations. Every achievement on your journey, even if it's just one class completed, an extra lap on the high school track, or one more push-up than you did last week, is worth celebrating—and celebrating with friends just makes it that much sweeter.