Clinical psychologist Diana Hill and exercise expert Katie Bowman are authors. I know I should exercise but… 44 reasons why we don’t move and how to overcome them.
When you’re stressed or tired, it’s too easy to get away to your phone and start scrolling. However, scanning news headlines and discussions on social media can make you even more stressful. Plus, more scrolling times are sedentary times. Combined low quickly.
What if instead, you could retrain your brain and crave physical activity to relieve stress and boost your mood?
Scrolling through social media can make you feel better in the short term. Activates the brain’s reward pathways, It leads to the release of dopamine, contributing to joy and a sense of reinforcement. However, once the spikes settle, dopamine levels immerse under the baseline and feel sick again. I encourage you to go back more.
In contrast, physical activity, along with other mood-enhancing and stress-destructing neurochemicals, causes a more gradual release of dopamine. stress, depression, anxiety and cognitive overload. Minutes spent on travel can also reduce fatigue, improve concentration and boost Creativity.
Movement gives it more than it needs to be, you need to learn to choose it.
The concept of psychological flexibility helps to build a new habit of reaching movement instead of a mobile phone. It comes from Acceptance and commitment therapy Or a type of therapy given It has been shown to be effective For changes in health behavior. It is a skill that opens up to unpleasant emotions, thoughts and emotions, and takes value-oriented behavior even in the face of internal obstacles.
There are six ways to try it out.
1. “Surfing” scroll scroll
The first step to moving more is to train your brain to be emotionally flexible. If you want to stop acting impulsively every time you have the urge to grab the phone, start by realizing your impulse and pausing.
Surge Surfing is a mindfulness tool used to help addicted people deal with their cravings. Developed by Smoking researcher Alan Marattit involves maintaining your impulses and realizes that it will rise and fall like a wave without affecting it.
Think of yourself as a flexible surfer and beware of the waves of cravings. It reaches its peak as it grows and returns again. No matter the size of the waves, it always comes back. And the more you practice and the more you promote surfing, the better you stay in it. Here’s how to do it:
Beware of impulses. Next time I want to hop to my phone for a news binge, I’ll choose to wait a little longer. Beware of the sense of craving for your body. What is the feeling of impulse? Is that feeling rising? Feeling of tingling? A bite-inspiring feeling? Where do you feel it in your body? Your breasts? stomach? head?
Please stay with me. Overcome the impulse and observe it grows or becomes stronger. What happens to the feeling if you don’t act on it? Watch it change like a wave. Don’t fight.
Do not add a story. It stays on a pure level of feeling without adding any narratives such as “This feeling never ends” or “I can’t handle this discomfort.” If you notice such a story, like a surfer on the waves, pay attention to your body sensations again and ride it.
All the impulses you surf to train your brain are a precursor to moving yourself to make it better to tolerate discomfort.
2. Stretch, squat or dance while surfing
What can you do in a minute or two while riding the wave of phone cravings? Practice a simple movement challenge! Research has shown you will be out of your comfort zone (also called) “Behavioral Stretching”) Increases life satisfaction. Especially for those who are not satisfied in the beginning. Therefore, stretching yourself to become active can enhance the extra mood when you are low.
Dynamic activities outside your comfort zone will go for stupid, skill building, or challenging moves, as it can improve your life more. Surfers not only stand on the board, but also carve, snap and reduce waves.
Try it now: Next time, try standing on one leg for 30 seconds when you’re on the urge to use your phone. Or do five squats and feel your muscles get activated. Alternatively, close your eyes, reach your arms above your head, and raise your blinking hands on both feet. Try a big standing or sitting backbend. Raise your arms and put them back as much as possible.
Alternatively, choose a song from the playlist for a 3-minute dance session.
3. Enjoy your favorite activities
you I’ll taste it intentionally Like fun, adventure, community, creative expression, what you cherish can be trained to want your brain more. This also works for movement. athlete Focus on their good feelings of sports Report low levels of burnout and healthier overall engagement.
Start by identifying the types of physical activity you find to be more satisfying and engaging and enjoyable, exciting, or stimulating than your phone time. Do you play ping pong or pickle balls? Do you want to zoom on your bike? Does it stretch on top of the aerial silk? Do you have a dance party? Do you go for a walk or run with friends?
Next, take a little time to enjoy the activity before, before, after the experience. It shifts your attention and stays with the good emotions that movement produces.
Be aware of the joys you get from playing games with your kids, how you feel when your organization is getting stronger after training, or the laughter you get when throwing a frisbee with your friends. Humans are wired to see the difficulties of things before finding good (an effect called negative bias) so give them a little time.
Spend 10-15 seconds of tasting each of the positive aspects of the experience, allowing it to be encoded into the nervous system. Repeat a bit, and practice your taste will train your brain and make you want to get out there and move.
Try it now: Enjoy this shoulder stretch. Reach out, reach for it to hold it in, then nod your head forward, pulling your shoulder blades. Then I realized what you enjoy about it: does it feel good on the neck or chest? Do you want to relax your breathing or let your eyes rest? Do you create a feeling of peace? Stay with every discovery!
4. Gives transformation to familiar movements
The brain evolved to seek novelty. This wiring has made humans exploring all over the world, which also makes it difficult to leave a series of social media videos. If there are already movement modalities you enjoy (perhaps I prefer regular old walking and cycling as they are cheap and convenient exercises), they keep losing to the phone and make them more attractive by adding novelty.
Try it now: Do you take the same walk every day? Be flexible in your actions and change your route. Stroll through amazing places, such as a new coffee shop, sunsets, and streets with your favorite spring flowers. Add friends and meetings: Take a walk through your first date, meeting meeting, or parent association gathering.
Then add fresh challenges like a weighted backpack, push-ups every quarter of a mile, or a few sprints up to the edge of the block.
5. Turn worries into compassionate behavior
Passively absorbing bad news can’t solve the world’s problems. If you’re scrolling because you care, then let that care move you to actively participate in the solution as you want to and keep the information engaged. Research shows that Turning worry into compassionate behavior It benefits both the people you help and your own happiness. The issues that put you on most reflect the most important thing in your mind. Instead of worrying, ask yourself:
- Which topic in the news draws me the most?
- What value do they pose?
- How can I turn my concerns into meaningful behavior?
Let your answer guide you to do something. Move your body and guide you to take physical actions that match what you care most.
Try it now: Think about creative and physical ways to act on the issues you care about. Are you worried about the environment? Try walking, cycling, or other human-driven transport. Working in a community garden. Or take part in a local restoration project. If you care about your children or family, consider volunteering in an after-school sports program or lifting boxes at a food bank. The weight of global conflicts can be mitigated by launching community walking groups to discuss global issues or organizing fundraisers.
Turning the weight of the world into physical actions makes you feel less helpless.
6. Get the news
When your values seem to be at odds, it means “I value maintaining information” and “I value maintaining my body well.” You may be heading for the phone because you feel life is uncertain. However, research shows that there is another place: outside moves. Combining movement and nature can provide you with the rest you’ve been looking for. As children say, “touch the grass.”
Try it now: Go outside, take off your shoes, feel the ground below you and taste the greenery. And you don’t have to leave a phone all the time. Mix the actions and choose to walk or roll, listening to quality discussions in longer forms, soothing voices. Remember that moving your body in nature is part of the world you are concerned about, and that your physical activity is part of taking action.
