YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

hi

new poster here. I thought I'd post a couple of things that have helped me with my GAD/OCD/depression:

vigorous exercise is super calming for me

yoga (a good way to shut my mind down before bed)

laughter yoga (I just lie on my back on the living room floor and laugh. Sometimes if I'm depressed it's just like trying to kick start a flooded engine, but sometimes the laughter gets rolling and I can't stop and it's really, really good, and there's a nice peace after)

Dancing (I did swing dancing for years. I find swing music is a good mood lifter, and it's good exercise)

a flawlessly healthy meal can boost my mood.

I love yoga! I feel so calm after.

I've been wanting to do more vigorous exercise, because I've heard that it helps...I jogged for a few weeks, but I found that I was so tired in the morning I couldn't stick with it, and evenings can be hard. I also never got to the point where it made me feel good at all, physically or mentally. What kind of exercise do you do?

I really want to get back to yoga again, but a physiotherapist introduced me to barbell training and it's the best kind of therapy, I've ever had.

I never understood weight training before, but I'm totally geeking out trying to increase my squat. It undeniable works wonders on my anxiety, because every time I go to the gym, my anxiety tells me, I'll get ridiculed for my terrible form, my spin will somehow explode out through my back and my knees will turn to dust. Then I warm up and start listening to my body instead of my racing thoughts.

I have been doing a lot of hiking this summer. The hike i do is steep and long so i get over an hours aerobic each time. I also cycle and swim. I did Crossfit for a while but it was too extreme for me. From time to time I'll do a team sport like indoor soccer at my community centre which i actually like better than solitary exercise in a way, although there's usually one or two people who take it more seriously than i want, and make feel like I'm back in boarding school getting yelled at.