How Fitness Helped to "Heal My Mind"

First off, HOWDY PARTNERS, and thanks for joining.

I am so happy to share "How Fitness Helped to Heal My Mind" - just to get it straight, I know my mind is not broken and neither is yours!!

My fitness journey started as an aim to "heal my mind". October 2019, I started therapy, and in December 2019 spoke to my GP about my mental health, and the dark place that I had reached. I was told that in order to help myself sort through my depression and anxiety, it would be helpful for me to take Antidepressants (Citalopram) to help lift my mood so I was more able to focus on healing my mind.

@howdoyoupeel

THIS SCARED THE S**T OUT OF ME

The unknown of what might happen to me on Antidepressants.

"Will I become addicted to them"

"Suicidal thoughts is a side effect of Antidepressants. How does that make sense?"

"How was I supposed to get better if the medication could cause the exact thing I was trying to get away from?"

I was determined to try what I could to not have to take antidepressants as an attempt "to heal my mind".

My immediate thought was natural remedies. Essential oils, what I put into my body must have an effect on my brain and how I feel overall, how I move my body (which I wasn't doing much, I was the least fit I have ever been) can release endorphins that can help elevate my mood.

I had followed @sarahsday, a Health & Fitness Youtuber, for a while. Her videos were encouraging, she had a sense of purpose that I wanted for myself. She had created two workout guide ebooks available for purchase, that up until this point - now January 2020 - I didn't want to spend the money on, because I thought it wasn't worth the money.

The Australian Wild Fires started, and Sarah decided to put her ebooks on half price and give 100% of the donations towards helping with the wild fires. This seemed like fate to me! If I buy this now I'm helping the environment and I'm going to "heal myself" by getting fit.

It was my hope and dream that I could get better with a lifestyle change.

After 3 weeks of the workout plan (which by the way is AMAZING) I still felt the same. I was still in a dark place... obviously Georgina it was only 3 weeks, your life of anxiety isn't doing to suddenly go away!!

IT TAKES TIME

I ended up starting Antidepressants at this stage and continued on with my lifestyle change and new workout agenda. I decided to do this in as much of a healthy way as I could without going overboard. I wanted to start exercising more to help my mental health and not to focus on how my body looked or what I was eating.

I was so proud to finish the first 8 week challenge, the change in my body was very obvious. The change in my mind was not so obvious. I was struggling with my dosage of antidepressants, it wasn't doing what it was supposed to, I was on a rollercoaster.

I had to BE KIND TO MYSELF and remember CHANGE WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

My body was is not bad at all, but just felt terrible and the physical benefits to exercising were simply a bonus.

February 2020 my therapy was starting to help, and I fully opened up about my suicidal thoughts to my family. This is really when things started to change for me mentally.

I ASKED FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

It was the scariest thing to tell my parents that I was suicidal. I thought I had let them down. Little did I know this was the start of me being able to feel free of this secret that was crushing me.

When Lockdown 1.0 started in March 2020 I was midway through the second Ebook weeks 9-16 by Sarah. My sister moved in to live with me and we started doing the workouts together. The encouragement of having her do it with me got me really motivated and helped my healing even further. That support was what I needed.

HAVING A "GYM BUDDY" WAS HELPED SO MUCH.

Throughout the next 3 months we did daily workouts, Monday to Friday, with the beautiful Hannah King @byhannahking. My cousin & aunt joined us and we were there for each other, cheering each other on. This group motivation had an amazing feeling, it was what we all needed in the confusion of Lockdown. Our mental health - along with so many others - was taking a toll further.

It took 3 months for my doctor and I to find the correct dosage of Citalopram. Once this switch

flicked, I started to make much more progress mentally as well as Physically. I continued Hannah's workouts until November, along with mountain biking, which brought me so much space to breath.

HAVING A HOBBY DURING THIS PANDEMIC HAS KEPT ME SANE

@howdoyoupeel

December 2020 I started a new journey with healing my gut with the help of my Nutritional Therapist Alice Yeates @Helpmehealthy. We discovered I had a Candida Overgrowth, which leads to symptoms that coincide with that of Anxiety & Depression. Stress and Anxiety also make Candida worse, directly linking my mental health to my physical gut health. Your gut health has a direct impact on your mental health.

This revelation was INCREDIBLE.

After years of struggling having an answer in itself that explained all my symptoms (Feeling tired or suffering from chronic fatigue. Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea. Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes. Irritability, Brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, or depression. Aching Joints. Sinus Infections.) I was so relieved.

Within a 2 weeks of starting my Anti-Candida diet, I felt less bloated, my brain fog had vanished, I had higher concentration levels, and hurrah hurrah I didn't feel sick all the time.

Illustration by @howdoyoupeel

I am now on my next chapter of my journey, I am able to work out 6 days a week doing a mixture of yoga, Lilly Sabri workout guides (she is amazing, I look forward to her workouts everyday) and Mountain biking. I am the fittest I have ever been, I feel the most confident in my own skin than I ever have, and my mind is the most clear it has been for years.

I am still dealing with anxiety, but I have better coping mechanisms.

I am able to focus on my art @howdoyoupeel, podcasts (in the works....) and our How Do You Peel community.

Illustration by @howdoyoupeel

If you are on a similar journey to mine YOU GOT THIS!!

It isn't a linear process, change doesn't happen straight away.

Your anxiety and depression will not disappear in 3 weeks, it takes time so be kind to yourself.

If you are using exercise to help your mental health I salute you. I would love to hear about your journey (comment below to share)

Remember the physique is just a bonus that comes from being fit.

The act of exercising is exercise is a scientifically proven mood booster, decreasing symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

• Decreased stress.

• Increased self-esteem and self-confidence.

• Better sleep.

• Brain boost.

Don't forget it is ok to have a little help from Antidepressants to help elevate the dark feelings and allow you the space you need to focus on helping your self.

YOU CAN DO IT

Big Love

Georgie xxxx

If you need to speak to anyone about what you are going through call Samaritans 116 123 for free.

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