What's a runner to do when running is on lockdown? Reflections of a running psychotherapist....

Nicole Marais is a Serpie and psychotherapist specialising in psychological trauma. She sent me some of her reflections on the health benefits - physically, chemically, emotionally and psychologically, of our beloved sport, and the possible effects the ‘Covid19 lock-down’ may have on us now we're not able to do our aforementioned beloved sport in our usual ways.Personally, I'm keeping going with the treasured one exercise per day we’re allowed, various flavours of video calls with friends, and the countless wonderfully creative, clever and funny videos we’re all sharing which demonstrate to me that humans want to share and survive, and also be silly! I found Nicole’s words very interesting and helpful, so I thought I’d share them in the MHC blog, in case anyone else finds them helpful (Fliss Berridge) 

Running gives us many different gifts which can be broken down into several different categories: 

On the basic level – movement: Doing what our bodies are designed to do. To not move naturally is like asking a dog not to bark…. ever.

On the chemical level: – it reduces the stress chemical cortisol – and promotes the happier chemical dopamine. We are born to have a certain amount of stress in our lives – it’s actually when we become distressed that we begin to truly feel uncomfortable and want to find ways to release it. And whilst dopamine is the happier chemical, we don’t actually want too much dopamine either because that only stays in the system for a short while … and we can flip flop between cortisol and dopamine.

What we actually want is serotonin and oxytocin – the longevity chemicals.  And after a run, if we are not berating ourselves for not living up to unrealistic expectations(!), these are the chemicals which can be promoted.

And, of course, there are the chemicals adrenaline and endorphins – again short lived. Think of them like a double espresso: lovely whilst in your system, but you can crash and if you get caught up in a cycle(!) chasing the high again, it could burn you out. 

On the emotional level:  running can be a great way of letting go of those big emotions: sadness, frustration, anger etc which have gone beyond feelings into gripping us in a mood.

On the psychological level: we identify as runners. This impacts how we think about ourselves, our sport - running, and respond to other runners. We set ourselves goals and then feel good when we meet them. Not so good when we don’t meet the goals, and it’s then that we can call on the community for support.

There are the places we run – track, road, field, trail, mountains, and so on….the weather that we enjoy and the weather we do not enjoy so much; and the kit, oh the kit!

Those play lists, those internal dialogues we have with ourselves when running, the transcendent experiences we have during the time that we spend running and so on and on and on….

And so Covid-19 and the lock-down will have a profound effect on all of the above and more. We may feel robbed, trapped, angry, upset, depressed, lost, amongst many other emotions.

How do we deal with this?

Firstly, we allow those feelings. We don’t deny them. We don’t indulge them either.

Feelings and emotions are different.  Emotions control us.  They consume us.  They take us away from our truth.  For example: road rage.  The person can become so consumed that they behave in a way they don’t recognise and say something like ‘I don’t know what came over me’….

….it’s actually a chemical ‘hijack’ and at that moment in time the person can feel totally justified. It feels powerful but it is the opposite – being at the mercy of our chemistry, being at the mercy of our inner self talk… it’s a false power. It’s what happens to children – they are at the mercy of their emotions and don’t know how to self regulate.  It’s the adult’s job to help them self regulate. This is what we need to do for ourselves especially during this strained time. 

True power is to acknowledge ‘I feel frustrated, sad, grief’ or whatever, feel the feelings and not ‘act them out’, and then make a choice about what you do with them. So what can you do with them? 

On the basic level – movement: Find movement which is symmetrical. Running has a rhythm which is symmetrical and gets both sides of the brain talking to each other.  It is a dynamic energy and a soothing energy too. For me at the moment it is a small exercise trampoline at home and an indoor bike.  And my home is tiny. Spend time doing that movement with consciousness so that you build up the neuropathways and therefore muscle memory. Stay with the movement and what you are doing, rather than being side tracked by a mindset of what you are missing (maybe running outside with your serpie pals), but concentrate on, and be with, what you are doing in that moment, what it is you are doing right now, when exercising.

On the chemical level: exercise can initially produce cortisol if you are doing it with resentment, however if you stay in the moment as mentioned above – your chemistry will begin to settle and you have the potential to feel better. You have the potential to produce dopamine and for that to subside into other chemicals: serotonin and oxytocin. If you go fast you may experience bursts of endorphins and / or adrenaline. Bursts are fine.

On the emotional level: you have the opportunity to release those emotions which are a ‘false’ power and transform them into feelings which are a true power and can be used wisely.

On the psychological level: we can use the above to identify as athletes – something beyond running – which includes running and supports running. That is using our movement, chemistry and feelings wisely. It is talking to ourselves in an adult mature way, giving ourselves realistic, reasonable and sensitive advice (it’s ok to not match your pb pace right now, it is a shame your race has been postponed or you won’t be able to go for the new goal you’d set yourself and feel disappointed) and this helps us self regulate.

To infinity and beyond….so right now, perhaps we can use our time to enhance our wellbeing in a different way. We can continue to process our internal dialogue, thoughts, and feelings through sitting too. Yes! Sitting. 

Now, I can’t tell you the amount of times I have heard: I can’t sit, I can’t meditate, I can’t practice mindfulness (current buzz phrase), my mind is so busy, it just doesn’t shut up. That is normal. Asking a mind to not think is like asking the heart not to beat. The mind loves to be busy, it loves to look for problems, it loves to create problems because it wants to ensure that we are safe. Normal. 

It is also Normal to Stop. However, to go from being really busy and then expect yourself to just ‘suck it up’ and sit is unreasonable. Find a video, an app, a guided visualisation which lasts no longer than 20 minutes to give you an anchor from which to build a ‘sitting practice’. A guided video/app/visual takes away the ‘hard work’ of being, until you’re ready to just ‘be’. This can promote well-being; a sense of calm, relaxation, clarity, and empowerment.

This time can be well spent with reviewing our lives, goals, dreams, jobs, careers and so on. It’s our choice as to how we emerge from this situation.  

To be truly empowered is not to be an emotional victim to Covid19 – it is to use the time wisely and to come out with a new sense of purpose, and a stronger sense of purpose.

Retain kindness, grace, dignity and integrity.

Positive Self Worth

from Nicole Marais( M.A.Dip.Psych) and the Serpie Mental Health Champions

If you would like to talk to a Mental Health Champion, and/or if you would like to write a post, please email wellbeing@serpentine.org.uk

Please share across Serpie land and foward to anyone you think might like this

Serpies survive Covid-19 blog: https://serpies.blogspot.com/2020/03/day-3.html

Views in this blog are the author’s own, it does not constitute advice, neither Serpentine nor the Serpentine Mental Health Champions and Ambassadors recommend or endorse this post and it has not been independently verified