The Growth Zone

I can’t think of any form of personal success that does not require understanding and implementing the art of discipline. The notion that motivation only gets you so far, commonly talked about these day, is true. I used to be big on motivation, too. I would listen to bits of Conor McGregor’s videos until it sparked a hunger in me to go to the gym. But that wouldn’t work if I felt too tired, too depressed or too lazy. So ultimately, I had to learn over time – through forcing myself to exercise, through staying out later to hit my quota in outside sales, through fighting urges of pleasure – that you can’t see any results if you don’t do what is difficult. There’s no other way around it. 

Having a Goal in Mind

When you’re dedicated to changing your circumstances, your reputation, you’ll do what it takes. This requires a goal to have at the forefront of your mind. The goal could be based around excitement or even fear. The latter is what I used to my advantage. If I didn’t get my act together, my future self and my reputation would suffer the consequences – so I made this my top priority. My goal was to find a sales job which would allow me to not only make more money for myself, but be conducive to my career as a starting point in business (since sales is such a transferrable skill). I realized at 22 that I had not been setting a strong example for my younger siblings; though I had my own problems and traumas to overcome, the fact remained that I had not kept a steady job since I was 19 and had no car or substantial savings account as a result. Then after I dropped out of university, I plunged into the most depressing time of my life after being admitted to a psychiatric ward upon a state of drug-induced psychosis. My past caught up to me, and my lack of responsibility continued for another 5 months. During this time of mental self-torture in 2020, I was so consumed with negative thoughts of how I was perceived by others as a man, a brother, a son, a friend, that I shut myself away from everyone and everything. Just me, my thoughts and my dark room at home; I wasn’t looking for work, I didn’t talk to a soul and I succumbed to my vices. This period of my life turned into a strong push in the right direction. Even though months following that were not smooth, I ended up eventually finding and excelling at an outside sales job all because I wanted to change my reputation and most importantly, myself. I worked overtime often and was promoted – those hours of pure hard work made an impact on my life.

As described above, you also need to have a strong “why” to be able to persist toward a goal. The why, coupled with a goal, will shape that persistence (and grit, its complimentary quality) into mastery of the art of discipline.

Pain as Fuel

It’s interesting that you can move in two directions if you’ve had trauma in your life. One, toward nothing; attaching your identity to your painful memories and accepting defeat. Accepting a mediocre life because that’s all you believe you can achieve. Or two, contrarily, toward a better life. Using the pain of the past as fuel to achieve a healthy physique, to increase your wealth, to chase your purpose. Emotions can either make you or break you, as exemplified by someone like David Goggins. For that matter, some of the most successful people ever in any domain have dealt with trauma in their past. But instead of wallowing in it, they use it as a foundation for their grit and persistence – two qualities that make up the art of discipline. 

Jocko Willink, author of Discipline Equals Freedom, says that discipline is not cultivated in any external way – it has to come from within. When you think about it, this makes sense because the success stories we hear and see in others will only spark a desire in us for so long, until we only can rely on ourselves to persist. And internally, anyone can foster this mentality. Even some people with the most baggage to carry from their past, from the worst environments, still somehow push themselves forward and strengthen their minds. It’s shocking how much humans can endure. Though it’s also important to address serious trauma from your past (trauma in varying degrees depending on the person), it’s worth noting what could later be accomplished in one’s life with such a powerful emotional drive.

Biting the Bullet

Doing what is uncomfortable to make future circumstances better for yourself is the essence of this topic. It’s this notion that, in my opinion, embodies the art of discipline. If you’re serious about the gym, going on the days you’re not feeling like it or when the weather is bad proves how much you really care about your physique and/or mental health. If you’re finally determined to put in some time toward a side project you believe is your purpose, scheduling time in for it and putting in the hard work will say a lot about how much you want this to be a part of your future. There will always be times you’re not motivated to take action, and given how complex and unpredictable life is, many reasons are justified. But as pointed out previously, discipline trumps motivation any day of the week; it’s this quality that you can rely on to get things done. And once I’ve gotten what I need to do out of the way, there’s a sense of pride and satisfaction in knowing I took action even when my mind tried to convince me otherwise; it speaks to a realization that you’re more structured than you think you are. 

My side project when I’m not working my job, is this blog. For the first three to four months of writing, I would only dedicate time to it on weekends – attempting to convince myself that I don’t have enough time during the week. Then, I snapped out of this lazy mindset and started putting in the work at least 5 days a week. It was mainly to increase the amount of posts per month from 1-2, to 4 (1 per week, which is still yet to come). Along the way there were times I didn’t follow through with self-discipline, ultimately leading to regret on my part. But more often than not, I spend one hour per day at least 5 days a week writing and/or finding research to back my topics. I’m not always in the mood to do this, but I know that I have to put in the work in order to achieve my goal of making a liveable income from writing. So if I do skip out on a day I’m supposed to write, I’ll punish myself in some way because I know I’m not any closer to my endgame.

Enjoying the Process

You’ve probably heard this as a buzz phrase: that the process is more rewarding than the result. At face value, this seems stupid and false; I think most people can agree that their much sought-after goal will bring more satisfaction than the gruelling hours it took to get there. But think about what this actually means. The character that you developed in the process of hard work will say more about yourself than anything else; so it’s not the mere journey that should be praised, but the change in self that was required during that journey. 

This might sound radical, but the following is a recurring notion that has at times helped me get through whatever it is I need to do – especially when what I’m d0ing is required for reaching a personal or professional goal. Think of the most unenjoyable aspects of your routine in which discipline is required: it could be the gym, the work required for your side project – anything that comes to mind. Imagine shifting your mindset toward enjoying the things you don’t like to do. That means convincing yourself that the difficult moments you endure while striving toward a goal are necessary; so developing an affinity for them might make the process easier and more meaningful. I try to think this way because I know my actions will, one, eventually yield to the results I want, and two, shape and strengthen my mind. So as difficult as what I’m doing might happen to be, that’s okay to me as I believe difficulty becomes a future net benefit. On top of this, I know that discipline in one domain has the potential to allow for discipline in another domain; and it can start small but turn into something bigger. For example, sticking to a simple daily habit for 30 days can make all the difference in your attitude and effort toward a meaningful project or personal business. There is correlation between all acts of self-discipline. 

21st Century Innovation

As we move into the digital era further, mediums for digesting information have aligned with this change. Auditory learning – specifically through podcasts and audio books – has transformed the culture. What’s clear is that people have developed a preference for hearing what they would like to learn about; some good reasons for this are that it is more convenient during times of focused attention like driving; and the sounds of actual human voices may trigger an increased sense of curiosity, which consequently might allow someone to retain more information. So if audio learning is your preference, here’s a link to Audible: an audiobook and podcast service by Amazon with an abundance of options to choose from. What’s nice is they have a free trial for 30 days, and you can cancel at any time if you’re not satisfied. Take advantage.

Although some might believe the classic medium is becoming outdated, there is still a market for it, and for good reason. Many people still love physical books as a tangible source of information. As opposed to online reading, you can bookmark specific sections you might want to go back and refer to. Growing up I also loved reading books – I just didn’t have the patience to finish anything. Nonetheless, the feeling of a physical book in my hand, knowing it took time to create and effort to distribute, has always been a part of the enjoyment felt in reading. It’s one of those products that makes me feel fortunate to have grown up in the 2000’s before the digital takeover. However, regardless of the format you choose, this habit will serve you well. Let’s get into the top 5 benefits of reading:

• Physical books are better for your eyes. This first one is a specific contrast between mediums of reading, and as a preface I just want to say that physical books are my preference. It’s all too common for us to be on our devices throughout the day. I believe it’s important to take breaks from this not only to reset your dopamine levels, but also to simply relax your eyes. Reading a book offers you the chance to do this. It is an alternative to the device method of reading material (like a Kindle). Constant blue light exposure from screens (like the one mentioned and especially our phones) disrupts your circadian rhythm at night and could damage your vision over time. In a strictly biological sense, reading classic books are in itself one of the overlooked benefits of reading.

• Improves memory. Personally, I’ve always had a hit or miss memory; sometimes it was on point, but more often than not it was lacking (both short and long-term). Not to discount other habits in my life that have had a part to play, but as I began reading more often over a year ago, I’ve been able to remember more information I learn through books, media, work and even trivial moments in conversation. And there’s research to back this. APA PsycNet stated that a meta-analysis of 197 studies showed a significant moderate correlation between reading and working memory. This is irrespective of types of reading material (fiction or non-fiction). I found this to be one of the more surprising benefits of reading.

• Increases your knowledge of the world. No matter who you are, there is a topic out there that you’re interested in learning more about. It’s an innate desire we all share to want to learn more about the complexity of the world, and how the world functions. Reading stimulates that desire to learn. And although fiction has its benefits, non-fiction is what really offers you entry into the world of whatever topic you’re curious about. Additionally, a book provides a concentrated and often reliable source of information on a topic. Many authors use accumulated life experience (in a personal and professional sense), as well as relevant data to validate their points and merge related sub-topics. This all ensures that the information you learn is informative, giving you a better understanding of one of the many facets that make up the world.

• Reduces stress. Sometimes if I’m feeling depressed or anxious, I try to distance myself from my emotions by reading. By the time I’ve read a page or two, my mind is already somewhere else and I’ve reduced a lot of tension. A cognitively demanding, peaceful habit like this serves as both productive and a means of bringing you back to your senses.

• Has the potential to improve your life. If you’re not just reading for entertainment (in the sense that you’re not intending to put your knowledge to use but only to pass time), there are lessons and information that could positively impact your life. This of course depends on you. If you’re reading about how to build a business, but you don’t actually apply what you learn in reality, you’re wasting your time. “Yeah, but now I know how to do it”… okay, so do it. A really impactful book I read called The Way of the Superior Man has a lesson that comes to mind. David Deida reminds you that we all have fears, and we should be able to accept that about ourselves; but what will transform you into a mentally stronger person is to push just beyond that edge, that sense of fear. Whenever I get into a situation that makes me anxious, I keep this lesson in mind and do what my mind says not to. Mindset, personal finance, health, relationships: any practical benefits of reading are probably the most important of all takeaways for this habit.

Sources

• Peng, P., Barnes, M., Wang, C., Wang, W., Li, S., Swanson, H. L., Dardick, W., & Tao, S. (2018). A meta-analysis on the relation between reading and working memory. Psychological Bulletin, 144(1), 48–76. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000124

It’s unrealistic to say that you’ll never relapse again when you’re practicing nofap. It will happen; it’s just a matter of when. The urges will come at a time when you doubt the power they will have over you; if you’ve gone a substantial amount of time without relapsing, you might think that you’ve mastered control over your sexual energy. But keeping in mind that this energy is the most powerful force within a man, it’s easy to see that mistakes can still be made. You can only fill a balloon with so much air until it bursts. 

In my case, the worst example of this I can think of was when I went over three months on this journey, then binge relapsed every day for months while I was depressed after dropping out of university and without a purpose. Multiple times a day. This is extreme, but it goes to show the power of the human mind when withholding from vices. The thing that you think about avoiding every day, which you do avoid over time, eventually comes back into your life making you crave it more than ever. If you couple your relapse with other bad habits that are evidently making your life worse, your single relapse could turn into multiple – and then you’re back at square one. You do not want to find yourself in this spot. 

So, with the relapse that is inevitably going to come, it’s important to know what to do after this has happened. By doing and thinking the wrong things, you’re increasing the chances of not only succumbing to the lost benefits you have accumulated, but also making the same mistake successively. Here is how to bounce back from a nofap relapse:

Admit and Accept What Has Happened

There is no use in ignoring the facts around your relapse. You had a moment of weakness which led you to do what you did. Personal accountability in any scenario will build character – this is an example of one of those scenarios. This doesn’t make you a weak person as a whole – you simply had a moment of weakness. It will do you no good to ridicule yourself as this may only increase the likelihood of it happening again. 

To expand on this, note what you did that day and how you felt in that particular moment. A to-do list or agenda will allow you to track the activities you might have done, but even the monotonous moments in your routine might give you some insight about where you went wrong. Maybe you skipped something you often do, small or large, and as a result felt out of place or mentally scrambled. A lack of purpose will also fuel these same states; boredom might lead to filling time in unproductive ways. Not only will your actions be revealing, but so will your emotions. A core indicator of poor decisions is your emotional state, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. If you’ve relapsed as a consequence of a lack of emotional stability, try not to also lose yourself after the fact.When you’re actually aware of your poor decisions in hindsight, you’ll often find that there was a trigger in the form of sadness, anger or stress. Physiological states such as hunger can heighten such feelings, and even more so if you haven’t found a way to channel them in the right ways. Exercise, meditation or even something cognitively demanding like reading will provide a healthy outlet for your emotions once they have been accepted. 

Do Not Let One Moment Become Many

After a relapse, there might be a moment in which you try to convince yourself that it will do you no harm to do it again since you’ve already gave in once. This is your mind playing tricks on you, trying to make you willfully blind to the consequences by placing pleasure at the forefront of your consciousness. More than that, it’s a mixture of libido and your emotional state. In The Free Choice of Will, Augustine says: “For we agree that all wrongdoing becomes such only by passion, namely, by a desire that is blameworthy.” But deep down, you know that what you want to do is wrong. You just want to believe that you have justification in doing it again. 

A binge will bring you to desperation; not only will you erase the psychological and physical progress you’ve made through nofap, but you will end up valuing this dopaminergic sensation over everything else. In other words, no other feeling will match that of a PMO release, so it will become your sole source of pleasure in life. The small moments, your relationships, responsibilities and side hustles in your day-to-day will have you less engaged and less present. As a result you will lack enjoyment in the things that you once were able to find pleasure in. And in a practical sense, as it pertains to this lifestyle, your attempts to reenter it will be that much more difficult. Try not to make your life any harder as you’re attempting to bounce back from a nofap relapse.

Ingest the Nutrients That You Lost

Although the quantity is small, your juices contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, proteins and more. When you release through relapse, a portion of these vitamins, minerals and proteins leave your body; you’re basically depleting yourself of essential human health components. The argument can be made that since it’s a fractional amount that you’re losing, it might not matter that much. However it is still less than what you had inside of you pre-relapse, so it’s still a loss. 

A helpful step in bouncing back from a nofap relapse is to consume natural foods to make up for these lost nutrients. A banana, for example will help you regain adequate potassium levels; chicken will provide an optimal zinc intake. So knowing what foods will meet specific nutrient needs is helpful when trying to bounce back from a nofap relapse, but generally eating anything natural will serve you well. To add to this, daily vitamins and supplements are ideal in combination with foods; consuming both will shift your body and brain back into its proper momentum. 

Keep Yourself Occupied

On nofap, your thoughts and energy are abundant. The smart person will use their time to their advantage by engaging in productive habits, like exercising, reading or working on a side hustle. This lifestyle will do you no good if you’re not utilizing its benefits in the right ways. But this is learned; I think most of us have at least one point made the mistake of staying stagnant for too long, scrolling through social media. Then, the chances of a relapse will increase. 

What is crucial in order to bounce back from a nofap relapse is the ability to keep yourself constantly engaged. This will signal to your mind that you’re back to your old ways – assuming that you spent your time on nofap wisely – despite the slip-up. And in occupying your mind, you do not give it time to ruminate on the mistake you made, the mistake that is more common than you realize in the moment. 

Hormones in the 21st Century

In the Western world, we are currently living in a time unlike any other. In the US, testosterone levels have dropped on average 1% per year since the 1980’s. This is the case for many different reasons. Along with the media’s influence here, there is also the hyper-processed food industry at fault and the pharmaceutical industry. All are of equal blame I would argue, but the most noticeable has to be the media. It is common and almost encouraged for men to behave in ways that are more feminine, to dress in these ways and generally to disregard their true essence as a man. Just look on most social media platforms or current television networks. 

This in itself is strange, but the real problem begins to fester internally, not externally. A lack of masculinity breeds abnormalities in hormone production. Low testosterone creates a wave of psychological and physical problems. For one, there is more of a proclivity for mental health issues like depression and anxiety. It is more difficult to gain muscle. There is a reduced sex drive. Most traits that are characteristic of men are no longer noticeable. 

With that said, it’s in your best interest as a man to ensure you’re maintaining or increasing testosterone levels. But rather than stabilizing this natural force through artificial means, like steroid injection, you can do so naturally in a simple, yet not so easy manner. This approach will benefit your health in both the short and long term. This is how to increase testosterone naturally:

• Control stress. Stress is something known to interfere with emotional regulation and general wellbeing. On the surface these are the problems we associate it with. However, even more consequential is the drop in testosterone levels that it can create. A study conducted at a university in South Korea presented 46 patients that were to be subjected to mild pain through electrical stimulation. Leading up to the test, stress levels rightfully increased and with this sharp increase came a drop in t-levels. These numbers were contrasted with levels during a resting period. Although stress is inevitable in some instances, ensuring that you’re controlling it majority of the time will go a long way. Meditation and physical exercise are good practices to help with this. 

• Eat foods with high vitamin D and zinc content. Ensuring that you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet is always a smart decision for your health. Specifically, if you’re on the journey of increasing testosterone naturally, look for foods that have high vitamin D and zinc content. These vitamins are correlated with testosterone levels in men. The lower your intake is, the lower your testosterone levels. This is not to say you can’t just take vitamin D and zinc supplements to have the same effect, because you can, but why wouldn’t you want to optimize further with what you’re eating? Some good options include fish; red meats; chicken; avocados; eggs; dark green vegetables like spinach; and kidney, black or white beans. All of these are packed with said vitamins and also contain protein, which always helps for muscle growth. 

• Exercise. As mentioned, physical exercise is a great way to reduce stress, which will ultimately prevent you from losing testosterone. Both anaerobic and aerobic exercise help with this, but anaerobic – specifically weightlifting – exercise is my personal preference as it strengthens muscle tissue while also reducing body fat. It’s like a double edged sword because instead of simply focusing on a reduction in body fat, which is also key in increasing testosterone, you’re simultaneously benefiting from increased muscle mass and physical strength. Muscle mass in itself is a big indicator of where you are on the testosterone spectrum. 

• Compete. This one has a fairly broad meaning to it. Engaging in competition could range from a card game to a boxing match, but the essence of it is really what matters: that you’re trying to outperform another man at something. And men are intrinsically designed to do this anyways; for women, for resources, for status, for physical dominance, etcetera. It brings out a man’s true nature when he voluntarily competes. Unsurprisingly, competition is a method of increasing testosterone. An article from The Royal Society Publishing concluded that not only does testosterone affect a man’s interaction with a woman, but that it rises upon competing with other men. The study in this case used a non-physical challenge as an example, but the same is true for physical challenges.

Sources

• Choi, J.C., Chung, M.I., Lee, Y.D. (2012). Modulation of pain sensation by stress-related testosterone and cortisol. Association of Anaesthetists, 67(10), 1146-1151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2012.07267.x
• van der Meij, L., Almela, M., P. Buunk, A., W. Fawcett, T., Salvador, A. (2011). Men with elevated testosterone levels show more affiliative behaviours during interactions with women. Proc. R. Soc. B. 279: 202–208. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.0764

Importance

Emotions are inevitable. They are important because they make us truly human. As with anything, there is a spectrum that stretches from one extreme end to the other; from ecstatic joy to deep sadness. And all of us have felt the ups and downs of life at different points in time. However, it is one thing to naturally feel these emotions, and it is another to be guided by them. When making critical life decisions or simply navigating through the trials and tribulations of your day to day, the most sensible approach is to able to regulate your emotions and separate them from your logical brain. Just look at all of the times you’ve made a decision, either by doing or saying something, after being pissed off, for example. More often than not, in hindsight you end up regretting it. You conclude that had you controlled yourself in the moment, perhaps you could’ve handled the situation better. What if you’re working toward a goal and you give up after a few weeks, frustrated that you’re not getting the results you want? Had you remained patient and thought of the long-term rather than the short, you likely would have reached that desired goal.

With that said, managing your emotions is among the most important skills you can develop in life. And the most successful people of all fronts advocate for this, because it’s the only way to make the most of your friendships, relationships, business and purpose. Bruce Lee says, “Emotion can be the enemy, if you give into your emotion, you lose yourself. You must be at one with your emotions, because the body always follows the mind.” Here are the top 5 ways to regulate emotions:

• Meditation. Meditation is a practice discussed at length both in my blog and across the internet. But for those who don’t know, meditation is an exercise based upon the concept of mindfulness – that is, paying attention to one thing, such as your breath, quieting your mind in the process. Among the number of mental benefits that it produces when implemented as a long-term habit, one that is overlooked is the way that it teaches your mind to notice emotion. When you get riled up, depressed, anxious, often the next step is to act without thinking. Practicing meditation allows you to observe or be mindful of how you feel before you end up doing or saying something you might regret – and often that moment of observation is all that’s needed to make the right decision. A study using IBMT meditation (integrative body-mind training) was done on Chinese college students for 5 days, 20 minutes per session. They found that this group had an improved performance in executive control (a cognitive process that stems, in part from regulating emotions), and also lower fatigue and higher positive feelings. 

• Physical exercise. A consistent regimen of physical exercise is one of the most effective ways to not only regulate emotions, but increase levels of positive emotion on account of the neurotransmitters that are released. Specifically, your levels of self-control increase, there is less of a chance of you being prone to outbursts of anger or experiencing depressed periods. Personally I can attest that as a result of maintaining a consistent workout routine at least 5 days a week, working out has allowed me to feel more emotionally balanced. My decision-making process has improved by way of being less emotionally distracted. 

• Process and understand them using logic. Processing emotion requires awareness, a skill that you can more quickly develop from meditation, as mentioned. However, awareness is the first step before a series of other steps here. Once you’re aware of the emotion that you’re feeling, it’s important that you accept it – rather than lie to yourself about it or fight the feeling. Once accepted, understand what urged you to feel angry, anxious, depressed. This comes in handy for future instances because you’ll remember that when thinking about that specific thing or in a similar situation, your default reaction is a negative one. Equally important is that you can understand the root of the problem as it relates to you. Then, ask yourself a couple important questions: Does it make sense to react this way? And is what I’m thinking true about myself or others? More often that not you’ll find that logical thinking helps to make sense of your reactions to situations in life, and especially make sense of how your own mind works.

• Accept that emotions are normal to feel. Every single person on planet earth has felt negative emotion before. Knowing this and accepting this should be comforting as you know you are not alone. You’re not abnormal for overeating to things because we’ve all been there, unable to regulate emotions at one point or another. Above all, emotions are there to teach us something, about ourselves or about others; and I believe this is where the misconception lies. Most think that they are meant to control us, rather than teach us valuable lessons. However, it’s interesting that unless and until you make an impulsive mistake that is guided by emotion, there is no lesson to extract. This is a process we have all gone through, and we’re all learning like students in this sense. 

• Create emotional distancing. This approach is a bit unorthodox because most people don’t think to ever consider it. Imagine there’s a bystander observing your situation and how you react to it. If you try to see your own actions from a different perspective, it allows you to disconnect from your negative emotions, even if it is temporary. It also gives you a sense of what types of reactions would be socially acceptable or not. For example, anger at a slight annoyance you have with someone else would not be viewed as reasonable by the majority of people. Imagining yourself seeing it from their perspective also helps; if you saw someone else react in that same way, you’d probably be thinking the same thing. You can then determine whether your reactions are justified based on how it would be perceived. 

• Practice stoic thinking. When you find yourself in a bad state of mind, whether angry, depressed or anxious, think about whether or not that which which you are focusing on is within your control. If it is within your control, do something about it; take action and make the necessary changes in your life. If it isn’t within your control, stop focusing on it because no amount of fixation will change anything. Stoic philosophy emphasizes this notion; it is an effective way to guide your thoughts into the right direction and regulate emotions. By going against this mindset, you are wasting your own time rather than making the most of it. 

Sources

• Tang, Yi-Yuan., Tang, Rongxiang., Posner, Michael I. (2016). Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces drug abuse. ScienceDirect, 163(1), S13-S18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.041

Natural vs. Unnatural 

I’m a firm believer that doing basic things such as fixing your diet or practicing other positive habits can reduce a lot of the anguish people experience today. Modern solutions have become that much more unnatural as a result of the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts and the proclivity of the human mind to resort to substance. Data in 2012 shows that the US public spent over a billion dollars on one brand of antidepressant called Cymbalta. More recently, and on a global scale, the antidepressant market reached $15.61 billion in 2021. You might be thinking that this makes sense because there’s a market for it today, which there is. But that’s exactly the point: there’s a market for people’s misery, in the form of pills. Shouldn’t that be a red flag? Corporations have no incentive to create drugs that cure people because then they’ll lose customers if there is no recurring sale to be made. 

If you are at a point of mental crisis, then it’s imperative that you consult a professional. If that means medication, so be it, because life or death should not be a question that’s up for debate. However, in less extreme circumstances, there are other methods of improving your mental health. One of them is exercise. This is how physical exercise improves mental health. 

How It Works

When we push our bodies by engaging in aerobic and anaerobic exercise, the brain releases two major neurotransmitters: dopamine and seretonin. Dopamine, often mistaken for the molecule of pleasure, is actually the molecule of motivation, desire and pursuit; whereas seretonin is the molecule of happiness, focus and calmness. These neurotransmitter levels are regulated through physical activity, which result in you feeling good afterwards. Notice how you almost never regret going to the gym or a run – this is why. 

Impact on Mental Health

It’s fairly established at this point that exercise has positive effects on the brain and mind, and actually improves mental health. But there is still a massive market for pills to quell your problems, which interferes with the more natural approaches someone might choose as an alternative. As mentioned, if you’re in a state of crisis, there is definitely more reason to resort to pharmaceuticals – however the evidence pointing to physical exercise as a means of helping yourself in less extreme circumstances is undeniable. For one, a published article by C. Barr Taylor, MD, James F. Sallis, MD and Richard Needle, PhD, addresses that over 1000 articles have stated exercise to alleviate symptoms of depression; improve self concept and confidence in both children and adolescents; reduce anxiety and possibly improve mood; and alter some aspects of the stress response. I can attest that when feeling depressed, working out at the gym or going for a run never fails to improve my mood and self image. It is a sure-fire way to ease any mental tension you might have. The same article also mentions that it could improve functioning in those experiencing such feelings, which is massive, as excess negative emotion can sometimes cloud your judgement and reasoning abilities. 

As this topic pertains to men, exercising regularly reduces depressive or anxious feelings as a result of the surge in testosterone these activities produce. Poor mental health is correlated with low testosterone, so when you are experiencing this it’s because your body is producing more estrogen hormones. This is why hitting the gym is often recommended when you’re feeling low – it’s a naturalistic approach to balancing your hormone levels. However, physical exercise improves mental health regardless of gender.

Impact on the Brain’s Cognitive Functioning 

Physical exercise is also a great way to stimulate cognition levels. Even though it’s encouraged at any time of the day, because any time is better than no time at all, working out or going for a run in the morning allows you to engage better with thought-requiring tasks throughout the day, such as work and academic learning. Some benefits include quicker information processing, less brain fog, and less mental distractions. Again though, any time it can fit into your schedule is fine. If you have something coming up later on in the day, like a deep work session, exercising beforehand will definitely provide some benefits when that time comes. In my case, I find that doing so prior to writing content or simply reading a book allows me to produce better work and digest and understand information more effectively. 

Some cross-sectional and epidemiological studies have concluded that physical exercise improves memory in young and older adults, increases attention and increases executive control processes. In terms of children alone, the ones who engage in regular aerobic activity perform better on verbal, perceptual and arithmetic tests than sedentary ones of the same age. What we can derive from this data is that no matter what your age is, exercise will benefit your brain’s performance in a number of ways. 

Discipline

Eventually, you might be so accustomed to physical exercise that it becomes ingrained into your daily routine. Perhaps you go knowing that physical exercise improves mental health, and you’re looking for a way to help yourself in this regard, or perhaps you simply go to reap the physical benefits – such as weight loss or increased muscle mass. In either case, there are going to be days when you just don’t feel like going to the gym. This is normal. But it is at this time that you have to go, despite your emotional state or energy levels. Forcing yourself in this way creates massive amounts of discipline, which is ultimately the most helpful quality you can carry to increase mental health. Think of it as laying the foundation for your future self – if you’re sacrificing momentary comfort for future gain, you’re showing through action that you care about yourself. Then, once repeated enough times, you can reflect with pride that clearly there is something being done in your life for the better. 

Expect the discipline you foster to also carry over into other areas of life. As they say, “the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” Training yourself to push the boundaries of your physical and mental limitations every day will teach you to go the extra mile in work, dedicate more time to your purpose, refuse foods and drinks that are bad for your health. It is a powerful example of how to take control of your life.

Sources

1. Mendolesi, Laura. Polverino, Arianna. Montuori, Simone. Foti, Francesca. Ferraioli, Giampaola. Sorrentino, Pierpaolo. Sorrentino, Giuseppe. “Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits.” Frontiers in Psychology, 27 April 2018, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509/full.

2. Van Der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score. New York City, Penguin Books, 25 September 2014.