Rehabitus: Empowering Personal Growth in Life After Addiction.
Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week 13th - 19th May 2024.
A Quick Thought Exercise.
Imagine discussing your feelings of low mood and anxiety with a good friend. They say they can relate and they recommend a food supplement that has truly boosted their mental well-being. This isn't just any supplement; it promises to elevate your mood, reduce anxiety, and enhance your overall health.
They add, “There are some additional benefits, too. You might notice improved mental clarity, more consistent sleep patterns, better stress management, increased energy, more confidence, reduced excess body fat, better gut health, a healthier look, and potentially fewer common illnesses as your overall health improves.”
You ask, “What kind of ‘wonder-supplement’ is this?”
They hand you the supplements and mention an important detail: 'It's most effective when activated with moderate movement for at least 25 minutes per day.”
“Can I choose the kind of movement?” you ask.
“Yes. It’s entirely up to you. Which movement would you choose?”
“Can I just start by walking in my local park or around the block?”
“Absolutely. Find what you enjoy or what fits your schedule best.”
“And if it’s raining, could I activate it indoors with a straightforward bodyweight circuit?”
“Of course. And you don't need to complete it all in one go. It can be broken up throughout the day - fit it in when and where it suits you, perhaps during a pause in your day or to the backdrop of your favourite tunes. It’s crucial not to wait until you feel ready to move - this is the point: move to feel good, not the other way around.”
“Ahhh. So the movement helps create better moods. How long does this last?”
“Well, it remains effective as long as you consistently maintain the routine. That's why it's best to choose an activity you enjoy, or at least start to see the joy in the ones you do. It won't provide an instant surge of wellness, but rather a gradual improvement towards a new, enhanced baseline of health.”
Motivated by their advice, you commit to consistently incorporating at least 25 minutes of moderate movement into your daily routine. You begin with accessible activities such as walking through the park, engaging in brief home exercises before meals, cycling, walking your dog, and occasionally going for a short jog.
You also find clever ways to integrate more movement into your daily routine. Choosing stairs over the elevator, walking to the next bus stop in the morning, and getting off a stop early on your way home all seem reasonable. These walks turn out to be welcome small breaks to de-stress too.
Eventually, you discover that you have more free time in the week than you initially thought, and you decide to join a local club or a gym with very affordable membership fees. You realise the monthly cost is equivalent to just three supermarket sandwich and crisps 'meal deals' - a much better investment, considering they were neither a meal nor a deal.
Gradually, as you discover more enjoyable ways to move, you begin to notice the predicted improvements: increased vitality, better mental clarity, more frequent good moods, reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep, better gut health, and a significant boost in confidence. Your appearance also visibly improves.
Enjoying the activities, you soon find yourself making new friends who like to do the same sort of things.
Imagine it’s a few months later, and your friend checks in on your progress. You tell them you're feeling much better and ask where you can purchase another batch of the supplements.
“Those supplements? They actually contained no active ingredients,” they admit with a smile. “It was always about helping you discover the power of movement and how it can enhance your well-being.”
You realise the real wonder-supplement isn’t something you take; it’s the daily movement and activity you engage in that enhances your well-being.
Lessons To Take Away:
The power to improve our health and mood can lie within our own actions; specifically, regular, enjoyable physical activity.
Continuous engagement in such activities leads to sustained improvements in mental and physical well-being.
Choosing activities that bring us joy, or exploring new ones, helps us consistently engage in movement. This makes it easier to start and maintain a healthy routine.
For more information about mental health visit Mental Health Foundation.
For easy-to-follow home workouts, you can search for ‘home workouts’ on YouTube to find a variety of exercise routines that suit your needs.
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