I came across this Humans of New York post yesterday:
Here's what he said:
"...I was a really fat adolescent. I weighed well over 200 lbs. I was always depressed. I was in this ‘punk rock,’ ‘fuck the jock,’ kind of ethos. I looked down on sports culture. But we had a compulsory weight training course during my freshman year of high school. At first I hated it. Absolutely hated it. But the teacher was this terrifying, hulking man. So I followed his instructions. He gave me a sheet of exercises, and I checked off all the boxes. And afterwards I felt amazing. I don’t think PE teachers get enough credit. He changed my life. He forced me to discover the high you get from physical activity. And exercise has been my medicine ever since. Right now I’m working as a bike messenger. I ride about twenty miles a day. It’s not even financially necessary because I own my own company. But it takes the energy out of my weird thoughts. It keeps me from honing in on the negative aspects of my life. Things are good right now. I'm very lucky. And that becomes clear to me when I'm physically engaged. So I always keep moving. I'm literally cycling away from my depression, and it works..."
So many lessons to be taken from this for all of us regardless of our mental state.
- Physiological and psychological state go hand in hand so you need to work exercise both of them consistently
- Sometimes you'll need to go through some shit you hate to find some light at the end of the tunnel
- When all seems lost then apply yourself to something, anything and give it a chance even when it seems like it's not doing anything right now
- Exercise is medicine in a lot of cases so prioritise your energy and make the time
- Being physically and mentally engaged and something keeps you from honing in on any negative aspects in your life
- Things can change if you want to change
