In a healthy body, a healthy spirit? How sports relate to mood

There is no arguing about the benefits of sports. However, some people underestimate its importance, including for mental balance. Psychologist Nadezhda Pozharova tells us whether sports can help to cope with depression, melancholy and bad mood.

Will sport help in the fight against depression?

Some people believe that sports and physical activity in general help to cope with depression. However, this idea is erroneous, notes the psychologist.

Why is this opinion in society? Perhaps it is due to the fact that depression is often called a bad mood. The expert points out that now many people use terms from psychology and psychiatry without realizing what they mean. Thus, the commonly used “depression” has come to characterize a state of depression, emotional exhaustion and burnout. In reality, however, it is a serious clinical illness.

Depression is a disorder that can only be diagnosed by a physician. A person subjected to it can not feel the joy of life, and this is not due to his unwillingness. Here the help of a specialist is necessary. The psychologist urges people to call things by their names, because by calling sadness depression, we downplay the real meaning of the diagnosis.

Can sports lift the mood?

If a person feels a decline in strength, and this is due to the fact that he has not been engaged in his physical and mental health for a long time, in this case, sport is really useful.

Any activity that can add joy and pleasure to your life will do. It is worth paying attention to yoga, Pilates, dancing or gym classes. Such sports favorably affect the psycho-emotional state of a person.

The psychologist emphasizes that physical activity also brings a person back to reality. A person begins to concentrate on his body, to focus on what movements his arms, legs, torso, head reproduce. By changing the physical state, a person also changes the psycho-emotional state.

Is it worth suppressing emotions with the help of sports?

If a person tries to stifle emotions with the help of activities, it can have a detrimental effect on health. Feelings and experiences can not be ignored, it is important to notice them, including negative ones, such as anger and aggression. These emotions should not only be recognized, but also distinguished from other feelings, be aware of their expression. Ignoring them can lead to emotional exhaustion and other unpleasant consequences. You should not “drown” yourself with sports – you need to approach the problem comprehensively.

Important! Sports should not be exhausting for a person who already lacks strength for himself.
It should be understood that for some people sports is a way to dump accumulated emotions. In this case, people rest and switch attention. For others, it is labor. Under such conditions during emotional burnout, it can only harm.