There are numerous psychological and mental health benefits to walking football from building confidence, to helping you meet new people and avoid feelings of isolation. Specifically, it can boost personal reward and satisfaction, while also reducing stress.
It also provides an often-isolated sector of the community the possibility to get involved in something they really enjoy while meeting new people, creating long-term relationships with like-minded others and boosting quality of life.
However following another roller coaster year, the lingering effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have certainly taken a collective toll on our mental health.
There’s no way to know what 2022 has in store for us, nor can self-care erase the grief, trauma or other challenges we may have endured over the last year or so. But as we optimistically look toward to the new year, we can adopt healthy new habits to help incrementally improve our days, even if just for a moment. Sometimes, that’s more than enough.
Listed below are several ideas to consider in the new year:
Spend more time outdoors.
Even when it’s cold outside, spending time outdoors in nature breathing fresh air is good for the body and mind. Mindfulness in nature can boost your mood and even short walks are better than nothing, and a great break during a stressful work day. Leave your phone at home if you can, so you are more aware of your surroundings. Find an outdoor walking football group.
Develop a simple stretching routine.
Even if working out is too much for you to commit to, stretching still releases similiar endorphins.
Devise a simple 15 minute stretching routine and try to do it daily.
Phone or visit a friend.
Be intentional about spending time with the people that matter most. Making a daily phone call or meeting a friend for a chat over a cup of coffee can change everything about the day.
Drink more water.
Water is the essence of us and what we need in order for our micronutrients and functions to operate.
Every system in the human body counts on water to function, and the brain is no exception. In fact, about 75 percent of brain tissue is water. Research has linked dehydration to depression and anxiety, because mental health is driven primarily by your brain’s activity. Long story short, dehydration causes brain functioning to slow down and not function properly. It is important to think of water as a nutrient your brain needs.
Volunteer
Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
Volunteering also keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against depression.
Even within walking football there are plenty of positions you can get involved in behind the scenes, whether that’s organisational or administrative roles. Welcoming and supporting new participants, being a team manager, arranging fixtures, or being involved with a management committee of a club can help keep your fellow team mates fully engaged and provide them with a legitimate sense of purpose and belonging.
Consider reducing alcohol consumption
Alcohol and mental health are closely linked. Drinking too much can affect your wellbeing, in fact some may even drink to try to relieve the symptoms of mental ill-health.
Regular, heavy drinking interferes with chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health. So while we might feel relaxed after a drink, in the long run alcohol has an impact on mental health and can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, and make stress harder to deal with.
People drink for a wide range of reasons: to celebrate, socialise, commiserate or drown our sorrows. We may drink to try and change our mood: to feel more relaxed, courageous or confident. However, the effect of alcohol is only temporary. As it wears off, we often feel worse because of how alcohol withdrawal affects our brain and body.
The medical experts recommend that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week. This is the equivalent of six pints of average strength beer or six medium glasses of wine. If you regularly drink as much of this, it’s best to spread it over three or more days.
Drinkaware offer the following advice here: Drinkaware
Take up gardening
Gardening helps with mood, concentration and focus. Mental health flourishes when spending time in nature and sunlight while lowering blood pressure and strengthening muscle and body co-ordination.
Watch a funny movie or TV programme
If you are having a sad moment or need a boost of energy, watching something funny can be a great pick-me-up. Smiling and laughter are very positive for your mental health.
Perform an act of kindness
Generosity is key to our positive mental health. An act of kindness towards others may help you understand your own difficulties, increase empathy and gain some perspective.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine
Stress and anxiety are two of the most common reasons for poor sleep. Taking time to unwind ― preferably without your phone for at least 30 minutes before bed ― can help you get a good night’s rest, which in turn improves mood. Read a good book, drink a mug of tea or eat a satisfying dessert or do any activity that calms your mind.
Take five deep breaths
Stress has many physical manifestations, this can include issues like stomachaches or other digestive problems.
By changing your breathing pattern, you can trick your brain into suppressing your fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system and increase your parasympathetic activity, or rest and digest. Not only will this make you feel calmer, but it will also help you digest your lunch better.
Start a gratitude journal
This only takes a few minutes. Record positive things about your day, whether major achievements or simple pleasures, can reduce stress, improve sleep and even foster better relationships by building a sense of empathy.
Try acupuncture
Studies have shown that acupuncture can help to decrease stress and anxiety. If that isn’t your thing, try another ritual that fits into your routine. It’ll give you a moment to get out of the house and offer a change of surroundings.
Remind yourself that someone else’s mood is not your responsibility.
Don’t take things people say or believe personally. It’s not necessary to give people a pass for their bad behavior, but it’s to remember their bad behavior is not about you. When you don’t take on somebody’s mood as something they are doing to you, you’re actually creating more peace in your life and theirs.
Meditate
Even on the busiest of days, finding just five or 10 minutes to meditate can be beneficial and apps like Calm and Headspace make meditation more accessible than ever. Meditation helps to increase the grey matter in the brain, which helps with mood-related disorders.
Ask for help when you feel a bit over overwhelmed.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, and people innately want to help one another.https://www.seemescotland.org/
Talk to a therapist
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Mental health experts can help you manage stress and find ways to cope with problems that may be affecting your daily life.
Other helpful links include:
SAMH: SAMH is Scotland's leading mental health charity who believe there is no health without mental health. They provide help, information and support; to campaign on behalf of people with mental health problems and to raise money to fund their vital work.
https://www.samh.org.uk/
SEE ME: See Me is Scotland's Programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination. They are funded by the Scottish Government and managed by SAMH and The Mental Health Foundation and are working towards achievement of The Scottish Government’s commitment to create: "A Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time, expect recovery, and fully enjoy their rights, free from stigma and discrimination."
https://www.seemescotland.org/
MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION (Scotland): Their work focuses on overcoming the root causes of poor mental health, particularly social injustice and inequality, to create a wellbeing society that supports good mental health. They lead research, create and deliver programmes, and raise public awareness and understanding of prevention of poor mental health and work in partnership with community groups, public and third sector organisations, and decision-makers to help us reach people and communities, especially those who are at highest risk of poor mental health.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/scotland
