Matthew’s Story

@matthew.j.jones

You often see Instagram posts and increasingly LinkedIn ones saying that a key quality of people that have their lives together, or the “top leaders”, is that they get up super early, mediate and go the gym etc... Whilst it’s definitely true that many people gym to try and become a stronger, better, fitter, healthier version of themselves, it’s often overlooked that many people use the gym as a coping mechanism for the stresses and negativity that they may be experiencing, and as a way to manage and deal with those emotions. 

Over the past three years at uni, I’ve definitely gone through my share of mental and physical health battles. Uni work load was tough in a degree I definitely didn’t fully enjoy, and the constant stresses about where I was going to work after uni and how I was going to get there, with constant online tests and assessment centres preventing me from having any time to recover, physically or mental. Without a doubt I definitely took on too much at times, and would fully admit that I struggled a lot with accepting who I was at times. 

I’ve joked a lot with friends about always talking about the gym, but for me during my time at uni it’s been the only thing that has allowed me to fully handle these feelings. Without a doubt I have had an amazing support group of friends, however there is something about lifting weights that has always helped me more than anything else. I by no means lift heavy, but I’ve falling in love with pushing myself to my absolute limits and constantly trying to further them. When you are lifting at your limit, when that bar is above your head or your knees are about to go, then at that moment everything else in the world stops. You are in that moment, you and that weight, and no amount of stress or anxiety can get in your way. Gymming has allowed me to constantly set targets and actually achieve them in a short time, in comparison to the long waits of uni results or job searching. It’s an almost constant cycle of smashing targets, even if those targets are lightweight ones. In that moment, you are able to achieve something you wanted to achieve, and when battling mental health that can be a fantastic way of helping yourself.

I definitely have used the gym as an escape at times. When stress gets bad, I’ve hit the gym and just gone into that zone that those that lift know you enter. I know it’s not common advice to run from issues like these, but by having an escape in the gym, it’s allowed me to deal with things in smaller amounts, one at a time. I’ve been able to use the gym as a way to almost bury some issues whilst focusing on others, and whilst probably not common advice, it’s something that’s massively helped me. This approach won’t be for everyone, and for those that do do it, it’s not something that would work forever. The gym for me could never be a complete substitute for addressing things I need to address, as when I’m not in the gym, I know they slowly start creeping back. However, it has allowed me to control what comes back when, and to smash those problems head on without others getting in the way. 

Massive thanks to everyone I’ve had the chance to gym with over the past few years, especially all at @mildertgymstagram, because it’s you guys who have kept pushing me to the next levels! If anyone has any questions or wants to chat about what I’ve written, please feel free to get in touch!