Running; it seems a lot of effort, but is it really worth it?
Recently, my friend tweeted and asked what we learnt from the first lockdown we went through. My response was immediately how important exercise was for my mental health. Obviously, everybody has different outlets for relaxation and for making themselves feel good, but why has mine become exercise when I never had relied on this previously?
Do you remember when we could only leave our houses once a day for exercise? This was a hard time in our lives, it really was. However, during my hour run or my hour’s walk I realised how magical it is to escape from the claustrophobic world, get your heart pumping, and have your endorphins released. I would plan my week around the runs I would go on, and I would be excited to plug some earphones in to get my daily time for myself.
No matter who you are living with, life gets intense when you are all cooped up inside for days (weeks) on end.
I am so so lucky to have been in the Lake District during lockdown, so I managed to escape to some really lovely places.
Upon coming back to Newcastle, I have found that going on a run before my working day begins really is integral to both my happiness and my productivity. If I go out and get some fresh air before I sit down at my desk, then I find my concentration is so much better. Sometimes, when I step out of bed and then go to sit on my desk which is about five steps from my bed, I feel that the walls of my world have diminished so much. I feel claustrophobic, unable to escape, and at times, really really down.
So, if you feel that running could help you then I beg you to set an alarm and get your heart beating before working.
It really will help you, and if at first you don’t enjoy it (like I didn’t), keep at it.
If you do it for a week and find that it is not for you, then there are so many other activities out there for you to try, so do one of those. But, you may find a lifelong, FREE, hobby from trying something new like this: I did!
