Mental Health. The topic of the decade. Used to explain anything from a bad mood to serious psychological conditions. Experiencing sadness is very different from suffering from a neurological disorder. In this article we are only referring to general mental health.
Let’s look at the phrase – Mental, relating to the mind and; Health, the state of being free from injury or illness.
It cannot be argued that there are things we can do to improve our mental health. We all know what they are, so why do we find it so hard to be responsible for our own mental health.
We are running a marathon in July. Six months out we started a training regime. The secret is to avoid injury – so we eat well, wear good runners, stretch before and after every training session, have massages, ice baths, saunas and rest. We are “preparing and strengthening” our bodies to run 42kms.
Modern life has our bodies and minds in constant stress. Staff, work, customers, emails, social media, bad diets, sedimentary lifestyles, social isolation, money pressures and the list goes on. Yet many of us do not prepare our brains to deal with every day. We do not priories trengthening our minds to reduce the risk of “injury”.
This week we did a photo shoot at Warwick Boxing Gym with some young fellas. When asked why they workout they did not hesitate in their response, mental health. These young, fit men are taking responsibilityfor their own physical and mental health. It shouldn’t be impressive, but in these current times, it is.
By regularly working out somewhere like a boxing gym you tick off some important musts for good physical and mind health. Time away from work and home. Social interaction. Physical activity that produces “feel good” chemicals in the brain. Confidence. A release of tension caused by everyday life.
Gen Z are labelled our weakest generation, globally. It is considered Gen Z lack resilience and strength in character. I am hoping there are more guys like the impressive group I met this week that are hiding in boxing gyms around the country.