10. Why the Gym Isn't a Substitute for Therapy

On today's episode of the pod, Coach Sam and Coach Dylan do a deep dive on why they think the gym is one tool in the mental health toolbox - but not the only one. Through the lens of personal experience and professional guidance they've been given, they conclude that the importance of working on your mental health with a professional is integral to success.

Roses and Thorns:

• Dylan's love of football, the excitement for the end of COVID lockdown, internalized patriarchy and the gruelling but necessary pain of feeling his feelings.
• Sam's experience with internalized misogyny, intense personal growth and the joy of stopping a thought spiral from consuming you whole. A very big, small win.

Mental Health & Fitness:

• why we can't take out our mental health problems on our bodies
• Sam's moment of clarity that being smaller wasn't the answer
• Hedonic Adaptation: the bright shiny new-ness that wares off and fades rapidly
• The Arrival Effect: "I'll be happy, when..."
• the integral difference between happiness and fulfillment
• internal problems don't have external solutions
• it's only one tool in the toolbox, along with many others
• it’s one tool in the toolbox, not the only tool
• the benefits of exercise and taking care of yourself are mental health boosters, but not solutions
• all humans need social support
• Dylan’s moment of clarity
• Lean = happy
• The caveats of toxic positivity
• The powerful & heartfelt connection in sharing a meal or “breaking bread”
• How we use things outside ourselves to regulate dysregulated emotions
• The discipline tool in the tool box is the most overused
• Why we can’t white knuckle our way through lifelong patterns, habits & behaviours
• How we need to develop the skill of self awareness to make long term change
• The impact of mental health on the nervous system
• Fight, flight, fawn or freeze
• The war on trauma
• How the gym does actually benefit our mental health: anxiety relief, endorphins, serotonin, feeling accomplished, gaining confidence, self efficacy

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Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin