Last fall I posted an article about depression and how I have learned how to cope with it over the years. You can read it here: http://crossfitodyssey.com/its-hard-to-cry-when-youre-running/. Since posting that, I can’t tell you how many people have come to me and told me how much that article affected them. Many of them told me how it touched them and made them feel comforted that someone like me was going through the same thing that they were going through. Of course, it was people whom you would never expect to be depressed – it always is. Some of them had a close friend or family member that was affected and needed help. Many of them felt comforted in knowing that something as simple as exercise could help depression.
I’m sure you have heard the expression, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. This is true of depression and physical activity as well. I can tell you that physical activity can help you, but I can’t make you get up and move. I can tell you that real, healthy food will make you feel alive and full of energy, but I can’t make you eat it. Depression also often has a snowball effect. Negative thoughts breed negative thoughts. Conversely, small successes breed more small successes. The trick is in creating that first success. The hardest part is the first step.
That feeling of accomplishment – that little success – changed my day. I got off the floor, got some work done, taught a class and then went to pick up my kids from school with a little bit more confidence that I could do this parenting thing and maybe I won’t even screw them up too much. I went to pick them up with a renewed spirit and a smile – and that spirit overflowed to my kids and then my kids had a better day for it. My workout actually made me a better mom. That is what we want to accomplish here. Getting skinny and strong and better is good, but becoming a better person is incredible!
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Post Script... Depression is genetic. This article is for my children. I love you all to the moon and back.