#Exercise and Mental Health

[optimum-health-essentials]

Enhancing Exercise and Mental Health at a Holistic Wellness Centre

Discover the powerful connection between exercise and mental health at our holistic wellness center. Our comprehensive approach combines physical fitness, mental well-being, and holistic therapies to promote overall wellness. Learn how regular exercise can improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance your quality of life. Join us to experience a balanced and healthy lifestyle that nurtures both body and mind.

[dyslexic-dyspraxic]

One of the main reasons I do exercise, sometimes the only reason, is to help calm my mind

Because I have ADHD meditation is difficult, it's not impossible, I am finding better ways to meditate from people with ADHD but it's not top of my list of coping strategies

Instead exercise is, because it's moving my body whilst also having to pay attention to what I am doing (especially if I am doing self guided routines) it's a lot easier to quiet my mind, I'm not being asked to silence my mind and focus on nothing, I am expected to focus on what I'm doing and because the task is challenging, it's relatively easy to let everything else drift away and just move my body, even when my mind does move away, I just gently pull it back, not because I have to but because I want to complete the task and zoning in on what the people around me are doing whilst interesting is less interesting than finishing this set or holding this pose

It's actually why I tend to focus on dynamic exercises, static holds whilst challenging are more challenging for my mind to concentrate on them they are to do, so I focus on the flow, which acts as a form of meditation and thereby quiets my mind

But also, the endorphins, the physical fatigue and everything like that are known to help regulate ADHD, the physical fatigue allows me to get to sleep at night, the physical effects of exercise help me to concentrate

Exercise is not important to me for the nebulous concept of getting healthy, exercise is enjoyable for the very tangible effect on my focus and the better sleep I will get after doing it

[gettingadooog]

5 Pillars of Holistic Dog Care: A Complete Guide

Discover the art of holistic dog care with our latest guide! Learn how to enrich your dog's life across nutrition, exercise, mental well-being, and more. Perfect for pet parents who want the best for their dogs. #HolisticDogCare #DogWellness #HealthyDogs

In the realm of dog parenting, the term “holistic” is not just a buzzword; it’s a commitment to caring for our canine companions in a way that addresses their needs comprehensively. Holistic dog care means considering all aspects of your pet’s health and happiness, from the food they eat to the exercise they get, and even their emotional well-being. Let’s embark on a journey through the five…

[fastlane-freedom]

Breaking the Cycle of Craving: A Scientific Approach

Cravings, whether for food, substances, or certain behaviours, can be powerful and challenging to overcome. The cycle of craving involves a complex interplay of psychological, neurological, and physiological factors. Understanding the science behind cravings is crucial for developing effective strategies to break free from their grip. In this blog, we will explore the scientific underpinnings of…

[healthyhubeveryday]

Exercise for Mind and Body: Increasing Mental Health via Physical Activities

[entity56]

EXERCISE 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 FOR 👏 BURNING 👏 FAT 👏 IT'S 👏 FOR 👏MENTAL 👏 AND 👏 PHYSICAL 👏HEALTH 👏

[oliveforluv]

weekly mood board

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

hope you feel better soon!

I am riddled with ailments, but I stay silly!

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Hello, I would like to ask you a question that has been interesting to me for a long time, but I am afraid that it may somehow offend you, so I apologize. I understand if you do not want to discuss such things.

May you please tell me a little about the side effects of the transition?

So, the downsides of medical transition? Sure, I can name a few things. But a lot of "side effects" people warn you about are really just "be sure you're prepared to be more physiologically like a cis man -- you can't pick and choose what effects you get, but you can predict some of them based on genetics."

(Transphobes like to make this sound scary, like you're damaging your body. But it's like... OK, a receding hairline? Yeah, no shit that's gonna happen. Happens to most dudes. Jokes on you, a lot of people are into that. And I can take some finesteride to slow it down, so stop using visual shorthand for masculinity to scare me away from masculinity.)

That said, be sure you're prepared for changes to:

How you gain muscle & fat

Your libido

Your hair growth patterns

How you express (and possibly even feel) emotions

Your voice

Your genitals

Your risk factors for certain health conditions. Some will improve, some will get worse. Me, I have to keep an eye on my congenital heart issue.

That said, the only real "side effects" that I feel are unique to being trans and/or me are:

Vaginal dryness. There's creams for that, so, completely manageable.

You of course need to be aware of your liver health, since you're on a major medication. But it's your doc's job to check your levels and adjust accordingly. I have had no issues.

My ADHD and memory maybe got a bit worse? But they are both stable now.

If I miss a shot, I get irritable (T makes me a much calmer person)

That's really it for me.

I've had top surgery and the only side effect there was that I rejected some sutures (first time that has happened) and thus got a gnarly scar, but that can happen with any surgery.

Other folks are welcome to chime in. Again, I think it's important to distinguish between "side effect" and "this is a new-to-you thing to deal with that is common for cis men."

[calm-happy-positive2025]

♥️♥️

[unbfacts]

[becomingmeg]

perfect morning routine 💗

1. wake up early (5:30-6:30 am): start the day off with waking up early to make your mornings feel less rushed.

2. hydrate (5 minutes): drink a glass of water to kickstart your metabolism and rehydrate after a night’s sleep.

3. yoga (10-15 minutes): a short yoga session can help loosen muscles and improve blood flow.

4. meditation (5-10 minutes): practicing deep breathing to center your mind and reduce stress for the day ahead.

5. exercise (20-30 minutes): moderate workouts like a jog, bodyweight exercises, or cycling to boost your energy levels and release endorphins.

6. healthy breakfast (20 minutes): aim for a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. (if you take daily vitamins, do it after having breakfast)

7. shower/skin care (15-20 minutes): refresh yourself and do your skincare routine.

8. daily intentions/scheduling (5 minutes): write and/or vocalize your priorities or goals for the day. you can use a calendar or a journal. this will help you with getting all important things done.

all 8 steps do not need to be done every day but consistency brings the best results!! this routine will leave you feeling energized with a clear mind to start the day!!

[healthyhubeveryday]

Do you know more about the Benefits of Physical Activity?

[respectissexy]

I've been thinking and blogging about mental health for a while, and I wanted to re-share a condensed version of an old blog (that nobody read) about what it takes to have good mental health besides Medication And Therapy. Medication And Therapy, for those who need them, can put some guardrails around how BAD your mental health can get, but they probably won't get you all the way to GOOD mental health. Having a mental illness is like having a boot on your car; you need to take the boot off in order to drive it anywhere, but that isn't the ONLY thing you need to do.

Secondary caveat: generally speaking, in order to have good mental health, you need to have your basic needs met. If you are lacking sustenance, shelter, or safety, your proverbial car has no gas in it and you will not travel to the land of emotional well-being. The following practices might have some harm reduction effect, but they should be understood as such.

Based on my experience as a therapist and as a person who has been managing a serious mental illness for 20ish years, these are the practices that I’ve found have the strongest evidence base for promoting mental health and well-being.

1. A practice of tuning in to what’s going on with your body. Meditation and breathwork are classic ones; likewise yoga and stretching. Many kinds of physical exercise can fit this bill, but only if practiced mindfully and intentionally as such.

2. A practice of connecting deeply with another person or people. This can be a significant other, a tight-knit group of friends, a close relationship with a parent or child. Your level of connectedness to other people is one of the strongest possible predictors of good physical and mental health, so much so that joining a DnD group might reduce your likelihood of early mortality as much as successfully quitting smoking.

3. A practice of gaining mastery over a skill with repeated practice. MANY things fit this bill; most types of physical exercise, singing or dancing, playing an instrument; knitting, sewing, or other handicrafts; sculpting or pottery, learning a new language, cooking. Many people get this need met through video games, which isn’t bad, but if video games are the ONLY way you get this need met and you feel like your overall life satisfaction is lacking, and you can’t explain it with an obvious lack in one of these other categories, I would humbly recommend picking up something else in this area.

4. A practice of expressing yourself creatively. Writing, art, music, theater, standup comedy, playing story-driven tabletop RPGs, even doing elaborate makeup or putting together cool outfits can scratch this itch.

5. A practice of externalizing and processing your feelings. Therapy is what people often think of for this, but journaling, writing a song or poem about it, or having a good old fashioned bitch sesh with your bestie are also valid ways of meeting this need.

6. A practice of going the fuck outside. It feels unnecessary to elaborate on this too much; “touching grass” is a meme for a reason. There is no requirement to be rugged or outdoorsy, to get "off the grid," or to sacrifice any of our precious indoor amenities; a stroll in a public park or a few hours of sitting in your yard will make a difference.

7. A practice that provides you with a sense of positive purpose. In other words, what do you do that makes you feel like you made the world better in a concrete way? I get this need met by being in a helping profession; some people volunteer or organize; a lot of people derive their sense of purpose from parenting or some other kind of caretaking.

Obviously, a lot of these practices can overlap, and most “good for you” activities meet a few of these needs at once. Physical exercise can put you in touch with your body, give you the experience of mastering a skill over time, and (depending on what your preferred exercise is) get you outside or connect you with other people. Writing poetry can be a way to externalize your feelings, and a way to master a skill, and a way to express yourself creatively. Playing an RPG can be a creative outlet and a way of connecting with other people. Sex, when practiced correctly, puts you in touch with your body and connects you with another person. Gardening gets you the fuck outside and provides a concrete sense of having improved on something.

[vexwerewolf]

Terrible news, gang: I exercised, ate well and got enough sleep, and my mental health has improved. Having now proven to myself that I am not a hopeless wreck who will be irrevocably depressed and miserable for the rest of my life, I am forced to actually... ugh... work on myself.