First off, thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes yesterday! Just dropping a quick note really brings a smile to my face. Am I getting soft in my old age?
So, I didn’t realize that it is Mental Health Awareness Month until talking to one of our friends over at brain.fm yesterday (you get 20% off if you use code 18STRONG:).
Now, I can’t stress to you enough that I am just a lowly physical therapist, and golf trainer. So, I’m not trying to pretend to be a mental health professional.
BUT, because mental health is so damn important, I think it’s important to say three things we know for sure.
First things first, mental health conditions are real – just as real as physical illnesses. If you’re like me, you grew up in the “you just need to toughen up” school of thought. Thankfully, we know so much more about proper diagnosis and treatment.
Second, it’s NOT a weakness. Mental health conditions are simply a dysfunction of the brain. Of course, we don’t know everything about the brain, but we do know that causes for mental illness are genes and environment…not some fault, weakness, lack of willpower, or character flaw.
Third, everyone is different (thankfully we’re all different). Even among people with the same diagnosis, each person will experience it differently. We each have our own unique nature and personality.
And here’s a bonus #4 – YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Most of us have something going on upstairs. And for those lucky ones who don’t, they are willing to lend support.
Think about something as seemingly simple as working out. It’s hard. If you’re stressed because you’re having a hard time sticking to a program. Or, you’re not seeing the results you want – that’s normal and okay.
Stress is the sensation of uncertainty, and there is a LOT of uncertainty in the average person’s brain (especially these days). That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But either way. You are not alone.
One last thing…
Golf is mentally stimulating, but that’s not the biggest reason we love it. We love golf because it’s a means to pursue bigger purposes – camaraderie, competition, and challenge ourselves.
We all have those days when we ask ourselves, “why do I play this stupid game?”
The answer?
Golf fulfills us. Because every day’s work is part of something bigger and better than before.
And that is all-around healthy.
You’ve got this,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – Like I said above, everyone is different. But what I do know is that exercise and being outside help my mental state.
My very uneducated advice is to give it a shot. If you need help finding a training program right for you, don’t hesitate to reply to this email.