Mental Health Awareness Week - why it matters for girls
It’s Mental Health Awareness week and here at We are Girls in Sport, we wanted to remind you of the importance of exercise and mental health, for all you girls and young women in particular. We know that people bang on about it all the time (!), but we want you to achieve your potential and be the best version of yourself that you can be! Exercise is critical to your well-being, both physical and mental.
But first, here are a few stats on the state of play for girls and their mental health:
• In the UK, rates of self-harm have tripled amongst women since 1993
• Girls make up more than 90% of hospital admissions for eating disorders
• More than two thirds of prescribed anti-depressants are for teenage girls.
• 10% of children will experience a mental health difficulty before the age of 11
• In the US, youth mental health is worsening and the World Health Organisation reports that globally, 10-20% of all children experience mental disorders with most developing before age 14.
The causes of these mental health issues are extremely varied, we know, and we’re not suggesting that exercise is a cure-all, but scientists and academics have proven that physical activity really can help.
Photo credit Joseph Pearson
Body confidence and self-esteem
One more stat. The 2017 Dove Global Girls Beauty and Confidence Report, found that 61% of 10-17 year olds have low self-esteem. This is sad, worrying and importantly, affects many parts of girls’ lives. Low self-esteem can impact choices that you make throughout your lives from careers and partners to looking after yourself and your lifestyle choices.
Let’s cut to the chase: exercise makes you feel good!
• There’s a sense of achievement.
• The fact that you’re doing something for you, practicing self-care and kindness to yourself.
• Knowing that you’re improving your mental and physical well-being.
And all of that before the rush of endorphins!
The buzz that you feel after exercising helps to boost how you think about yourself, your self-esteem, and as you realise how strong your body is to help you run your first 5km or swim your first 50m without stopping, you feel better in your own skin. You start to appreciate your body and what it is capable of doing.
Depression, stress and anxiety
Exercise has been proven to be an effective treatment for depression and according to the Harvard Review, it may be as beneficial as anti-depressants. The ‘runner’s high’ which is the endorphin rush after exercise does exist (although there is now debate as to whether endorphins really are the trigger for the ‘rush’) but it’s steady and sustained exercise which may be the key to easing depression: this encourages nerve cells to grow and make new connections around the brain. It’s this improved brain function which makes you feel better.
The endorphins also help with stress relief as does the repetitive movement of sport: repetition acts as a mindfulness activity, distracting your brain from stressful situations and making you think about something else – be that putting one foot in front of another on a brisk walk, run or hike, hitting a tennis ball or practicing yoga. Exercise can also help to relax the muscles that you might have tensed due to a stressful situation or thought. This feeling of relaxation spreads throughout your body during exercise, influencing your brain too.
Exercise is an effective way to handle anxiety. The hormone cortisol is produced during anxious times; cortisol is the ‘fight or flight’ hormone – it’s there to help us deal with stressful situations. When we feel anxious, cortisol is produced and exercise helps to ‘use it up’.
Photo credit Ev
Bella Mackie, journalist and author as well as someone who suffers from depression, anxiety and OCD, documents how running helped her deal with her mental health issues:
“I never enjoyed the running part much in those early days, but I began to notice that it was having an effect. Panic attacks were rearing up less and less. My mind was a little bit quieter – by making me focus on my surroundings and where I was going, jogging gave me a break from my swirling intrusive thoughts. I felt less hopeless and more capable.”
Bella continues by explaining how her confidence grew and she started to run further and amongst people; how her confidence allowed her to travel further on public transport and meet up with friends. And her recovery started with running. Still not convinced?
The importance of sleep
Many people think that sleep is just something we need in order to function at a basic level day to day, but its importance is much more profound than that. It can impact many areas of the human body including your mood and therefore our mental health.
A healthy dose of exercise genuinely tires you out and helps you to sleep better! That then has a positive effect on our bodies and brains. It’s a good idea to try to stick to a routine of when you go to bed and when you get up as it helps to form your circadian rhythm. Changeable bedtimes and waking up times can make us feel groggy and lacking energy.
Socialising
Being part of a team or regularly going to the gym can help you make a new social circle. Finding people with a shared interest can lead to new friendships and those social interactions can also help to boost your morale and how you view yourself. They can pick you up when you’re feeling down, remind you of how great you are and even set new physical challenges for you to overcome, just to prove to yourself how strong and capable you are.
Photo credit Omar Lopez
We really hope this finds you well in body and mind, but the numbers tell us that many of you reading this are suffering, have suffered or will suffer from a mental health issue. Exercise can certainly help but you must talk to someone too – sharing your thoughts and feelings will begin the road to recovery. And we must add that if you are taking medication, do not stop! Talk to your doctor or medical professional first.
In our next blog later in the week, we’ll have a true story of how the power of sport really did save a girl’s life.