You Are Your Own Competition

This week is #MensHealthWeek and each day there is a new focus, this is “The Can Do Approach”. The first focus of this weeks can do challenge is “connect” and how men can connect with others to help improve their own personal mental health and wellbeing. 

Here at Social Sense it is important for us to create conversations between our connections and find out exactly how they deal with their mental health. We spoke to a young male to find out exactly how he prioritises his mental health through connectivity and exercise.

The young male told us the importance of connectivity through exercise and how this has drastically helped improve his mental and physical health. The Social Sense team continued to ask him his personal experiences and what he believes the positive impact of exercise to be, his responses were:

  • Boost in mood

Studies show that exercise can be a coping mechanism and a natural anti depressant for people suffering with anxiety and depression. Recent studies carried out by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%.

When an individual exercises, the body release natural hormones, these hormones are called “endorphins”.  These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, some call this the “happy hormone”.

  • Social aspect of exercise

Taking part in activity groups and/or attending the gym encourages an individual to engage in conversation and meet like wise people with similar interests. Attending new groups can create new connections and lasting friendships.

  • Setting new goals

Having goals is a vital part of our day to day lives, sometimes without goals it’s hard for individuals to find “their purpose” therefore a simple activity goal can help an individual to work towards something achievable that they will feel proud of once completed.

Completing physical activities with a family member/friend can help you to work as a team towards something to be proud of whilst spending quality time together.

  • Listening to music

Music is a powerful tool for people of any age and capabilities. Studies show the scientific impact music has on us as humans, humans are hard-wired to respond to music. Music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function, therefore when an individual listens, whilst exercising, they may feel more motivated and help push through fatigue.

  •  Being your own competition 

Whilst there so many influential people that definitely raise the bar when it comes to physical activity and capabilities when completing physical activities, it is important to constantly remind yourself that you are your own competition.

When you compete with yourself, you are dismissing other peoples measures of success. When you compete with the best version of yourself you get a better sense of your own capabilities and achievable goals, this allows you as an individual to define what you think “success” is.


“Comparison is the thief of joy”