The other day, I was working out in my home gym and I started to think about the topic of therapy. Most of my thinking is done in the solitude of the gym. I keep a small pad and pen to write my thoughts down in between sets. On this particular night, I began thinking about what my own therapy looks like.

The things I was thinking about were not necessarily the standard type of talk therapy most people are accustomed to. I absolutely believe in talk therapy. Honestly, every psychiatrist should be in therapy and it’s often recommended to trainees. The work of a psychiatrist is deep emotional work and its good to analyze these experiences with someone. However, it’s not always easy to find a good therapist.

People often wonder outside of formal talk therapy, what activities do psychiatrists use to reduce stress. 

My personal form of therapy is physical training. I learned a lot about myself over the years by demanding a lot of my body. I stress to all of my patients the importance of self-care in the form of physical activity. The human body is made to move, and we have slowly grown into lives of inactivity. Much of our work, education, and leisure activates involve no physical movement. I highly recommend incorporating various sports, running, weight training and other fitness actives into your daily life. If you can bring a friend along for the workout even better. This covers both physical and social areas of wellbeing. 

This biggest barrier to this process is getting started. Patients often say, “I could never do that” to which I say you don’t have to. Start off simple call a friend or two that can serve as workout partners and start with one 20-minute walk per day. It’s low impact and can be accomplished in almost any setting. There is no need to invest in the best pair of running shoes, a gym membership, or personal trainer. It’s about creating a sustainable habit that will continue for a lifetime. All you need to do is literally take that first step. 

Feel free to share what helps you stay mentally fit and reduce stress in the comment section below.