Tantrum? Try aikido or archery. Got blues? Play volleyball or dance zumba. Each mood corresponds to a certain type of physical activity, which will help smooth out bursts of negative emotions.
The word “worry” means both a state of mental unrest and a physical movement (“the sea worries once …”). So our language stores the memory that emotions have physical manifestations. When we get angry, we involuntarily clench our fists. He takes his breath away from fear. Sadness causes tears. The feeling of bitterness and sorrow makes you petrify… Emotions change the heart rate and breathing rhythm, body temperature, hormone production, blood pressure, muscle and brain activity… That is, they act on the body like physical exertion! Therefore, when we are overwhelmed by negative emotions, sports can restore our peace of mind.
“Emotions tend to be fleeting,” says emotional intelligence psychologist Ilios Kotsou. “However, if they linger for a long time, they cease to serve as a signal for action, but begin to influence our character.” Sadness, anger, fear and feelings of bitterness affect our actions, including how we communicate with other people. That’s why it’s so important to let your emotions out.
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“Sport improves our condition: it reduces the blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, stimulates the production of endorphins, happiness hormones, and thus does not allow negative emotions to rule our lives,” the psychologist reminds. Through sport, we express feelings through the body instead of repressing them. Our task is to learn to move consciously, developing, by analogy with visual acuity and hearing, the accuracy of movements.
By expressing ourselves through movement, we can change our emotional life. To do this, first find out which emotion affects our character more, and then try the sport that will help to cope with it. Remembering that physical exercise is also a good mood, lightness, self-confidence, communication, the spirit of creativity.
Sadness
False path. Start dancing with a stranger. Forcing yourself not to be sad is a must if you want to regain a sense of the joy of life. But it is better if someone close to you is your partner so that you do not feel like a stranger in this celebration of life and do not give up too quickly.
What is really needed. Movement and communication. After all, when we are sad, we withdraw into ourselves and are ready to give up on everything. It’s not about “shaking up”, but about getting emotionally involved in what is happening. A group sport, where each team member has their own share of responsibility, will be beneficial for those who tend to mope and underestimate themselves.
Which sport to choose? “Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the beach and sunny weather,” suggests Ilios Kotsu. – For example, play volleyball with the whole family. When you make sure that the ball does not fall into your half of the field, you do not have time to lose heart. In addition, a common task gives rise to a sense of unity within the team.” Another option is to jump hopscotch or jump rope with your kids. Physical activity accompanied by music, such as zumba or water aerobics, helps to energize and improve mood. Why not sign up for both at the same time? Runners will be pleased to know that jogging is more effective than antidepressants in the long run. Especially if you are exercising outdoors in the company of friends who move at the same pace with you.
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- What kind of sport will help to cope with emotions
Anger
False path. Sprinting, boxing or squash. These activities help you quickly get distracted and let off steam, but they have only a short-term effect and do not mitigate the explosive nature.
What is really needed. “Activity that allows you to express anger, but does not involve cruelty,” Ilios Kotsu is sure. Under this definition, pair or group classes are ideal. After all, the best weapon against anger is respectful and friendly communication. When we are angry, the chest shrinks and breathing quickens. That is why those types of physical activity will be good, where an important place is given to the control of breathing.
Which sport to choose? The so-called external styles of martial arts. They are characterized by rapid explosive movements. A good example is aikido. The goal of combat is not to successfully attack, but to destroy the opponent’s attack. Wushu, judo, capoeira are also suitable for you. Kyudo, Japanese archery, will be useful. She teaches you to control your body and respect others (usually a group of five archers fire arrows at the same time). What is the purpose of kyudo? Harmonize the state of the body, mind and emotions. Individual oriental practices such as yoga, qigong or tai chi will be helpful provided the person has already dealt with their anger. Otherwise, a face-to-face meeting with yourself can cause irritation and force you to stop practicing.
Fear
False path. Skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding. Such radical methods of dealing with fear can be traumatic and, contrary to expectations, will only increase anxiety.
What is really needed. A sports experience that allows you to face your fears and at the same time gives you a sense of security. “You need to choose a type of physical activity that develops courage and encourages you to push the boundaries of the possible,” recommends Ilios Kotsu. Passive participation will not help. Only by taking the reins of government into our own hands can we realize that we have internal resources that will allow us to find a way out in any situation.
Which sport to choose? Climbing, where the body moves in an unusual way: vertically along a cliff. Feeling the abyss beneath us, we know that we are insured by the rope held by the partner. School of self-confidence and trust in others. Also, those sports that imply speed and instability will be an excellent solution: rafting on a mountain river, yachting, horseback riding. Of course, provided that you are not afraid of water and horses. “Contact sports like jiu-jitsu allow you to explore the nature of your fear,” says Ilios Kotsu. “If we are put on both shoulder blades and pressed to the ground so that it is impossible to move, we are forced to draw strength from within ourselves in order to regain peace.”
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Bitterness
False path. Walking with those who are ready to listen and sympathize, or who are seized by the same feeling. Mutual complaints only fuel negative emotions.
What is really needed.Funny company. And sport, which can be a source of pleasure and gratitude for all the good that life has to offer. Bitterness includes shades of different emotions. “There is also frustration associated with a sense of injustice. And dissatisfaction caused by the fact that a person feels unable to return what he has lost,” says Ilios Kotsu. To feel the interest in life again, you need to recognize your vulnerability and allow yourself to touch the beauty of the world.
Which sport to choose? “Activity that is part of the mission. For example, a hike for a medical or humanitarian purpose,” says Ilios Kotsu. It gives meaning to the effort and allows you to discover in yourself and others the capacity for compassion and selfless help that you did not know you had. Other options are Nordic walking or cycling in a pleasant company. Activities in nature energize and sharpen all the senses. Go for a walk with your camera. Unusual angles will change the angle from which you are accustomed to looking at the world. Good to try diving. The exciting experience of immersion in the poetic underwater world encourages you to rethink your life in the surface world.