Dealing with feelings through physical activity

Sometimes when you are feeling down, it’s hard to get motivated to do anything. But did you know that there are things that you can do to boost your mood and make you feel better?

Research shows that exercise can release chemicals in your brain that can boost mood, relieving feelings of anxiety and depression. We’re not necessarily talking about hardcore exercise here: even a simple walk outdoors in the sunshine can do wonders to help you boost your mood. Taking a walk, going for a bike ride or a run, dancing, or shooting some hoops with friends. can be a great way to stimulate endorphins and dopamine, key neurochemicals related to mood, motivation, and pleasure. An added bonus is that exercise contributes to better sleep, which everyone needs for good health.

If you’re more of a low-key activity person, we've got ya covered! Activities like meditation and yoga can help to improve mental health. They are also easy to do in the privacy of your own room and for free! If you’ve never done yoga before, there are a lot of videos out there on YouTube (like this one specifically for teens and this one with two sisters who are yogis) to get you started.

Similarly, if you’ve never done mediation before, there are a lot of great videos on YouTube (like this one from Therapy for Black Girls and this one from Black Men Meditate) to guide you through a simple practice. There are also quite a few meditation apps for young people, so you might need to check them out and see which ones work best for you.

Click here to explore other Mental Health Resources.