Running Got Me Out Of The Worst Mental Health Dip Of My Life – Here's How I Started From Zero

I’ve struggled with mental health issues like depression and stifling, vomit-inducing social anxiety for a long time; I’m far from alone. 

Mixed anxiety and depression is Britain’s most common mental health complaint, affecting just under 8% of the population (millions of people). 

Therapy has been key to keeping my mood in check, but to be honest, I used to dismiss claims that exercise could also improve my symptoms. 

I was never an athletic kid (looking back, I’m amazed at how unblinkingly my PE teacher accepted I was on my period every single week). Until my early 20s, I would take a bus instead of walking the 10 minutes to my local Lidl. 

But at 22, my mental well-being took a nosedive. I didn’t leave my room, except when I had to, for months; I slept about 14 hours a day, and felt miserable. Even saying “hello” to a cashier gave me the visible shakes, which heightened my embarrassment further.

I was also on a waiting list for therapy that would last for years, so I turned to running in the meantime.

Exercise is not the answer to systemic flaws in our crumbling mental health system, and professional help should be your first port of call for severe distress.

But if you’re looking for a free boost, a 2020 review of studies found that running has “important positive implications for mental health, particularly depression and anxiety disorders.” 

I found it seriously helped mine. Weeks after starting the programme, I felt more able to socialise; years on, it’s key to my wellbeing. So, I thought I’d share how I started from zero.

1) It sounds basic, but download a Couch To 5k app

I don’t mind which one you get, but I found it impossible to get started without some help.

When you begin, you don’t realise how small you’re meant to start; it’s much easier to accept you’re only meant to go for 30-second bursts at the start when an authoritative disembodied voice is telling you you should. 

Don’t be afraid of doubling down on weeks, and don’t be tempted to track things like pace early on; certainly don’t compare them to anyone else if you do.

2) Go slower than you think, then slow down

This is the hardest thing to learn, but the most crucial one. You will get injured more often (one of the biggest reasons new runners quit), get dispirited more, and feel frustrated if you don’t slow down. 

Zone 2 training – where you stay at a conversational pace – is pretty great for us, if it helps; many athletes do 80% of their training at that level.

3) Don’t run every day, but stay consistent

Stick to a schedule, but, as Runner’s World advises, don’t go every day. This won’t give you time to recover and can tank your motivation. 

Three times a week is a great routine, but I started off with two, which worked great as well (Asics’ research found that just over 15 minutes of running per session is enough to boost your mood).

4) Celebrate small wins

Perhaps one of the most transformative lessons I learned from running as someone who never thought I could is that it’s completely possible to achieve things I felt “weren’t for me”.

Part of that was taking note of my progress and celebrating it, even if that meant a triumphant Strava or Instagram post when I reached my first 5k. 

Mental health charity Mind says, “When we achieve things we set out to do, we feel empowered. It shows us that we have agency, that we can alter things around us, and improve our situation.”

If that achievement is going on your longest run yet, hey – that’s worth noting.

Help and support:

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.