Before I write anything else, let's start with the obvious: I am not a medical doctor. I am not a mental health professional. And if you're stuggling with mental health, that is who to turn to -- SAMHSHA has a finder for services here, and in a crisis, call 988.

All I am is a runner who writes about running -- and also, someone who struggles with her own mental health. This is why I was so excited when, listening to my local NBC4 over coffee (me) and milk (Tiny Overlord), we hear this story about some research out of Europe about how exercise may be just as effective as antidepressants in treating depression; this follows Dutch research which came out over the summer that "running therapy" was as effective in mental health outcomes as antidepressants -- and it had the bonus of increasing physical health.

IMPORTANT: NONE OF THE STUDIES SAY DO NOT TAKE MEDICATION; I AM NOT SAYING DO NOT TAKE MEDICATION. While the newsy headlines might make you think that this is somehow pushing off those treatments, if you actually read the whole peer-reviewed studies, you will see the conclusion is rather that "Running therapy is a valuable treatment strategy in mental health care", not the ONLY one. It is a tool in our toolbox.

Yet, for me, it has indeed been an extremely valuable tool -- even though I do also take an anti-axiety medication. Depression and anxiety run in my family, so it should not have been too surprising to me that I also struggled with each of these; I had used therapy on and off since the anxiety began to interfere with my daily life around the time my mom was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer 12 years ago. Still, it was really, really hard for me to take the advice of doctors and therapists to add anti-anxiety medication, even has postpartum depression and anxiety dug their heels in in a way that started to stop my daily life. I am still thankful for C., a friend from my Ph.D. program who quite literally got me through the less-than-wise dissertation-during-pandemic-with-newborn life choice with our weekly hour-long "check-in/write-in" meetups: she was the one who was able to gently point out what was happening, which finally gave me the boost I needed to try help.

And, while nothing is a magic wand for mental health, and every person is different, for me, that choice made a world of difference.

But I also know that running also does a world of difference. When I was out sick for a month and spent much more of October coughing on the couch, or when I was battling plantar fasciitis and spent July hobbling around, there was no doubt that I stuggled more with both anxiety and depression. For me, running is indeed a vital part of keeping my mind balanced -- and is actually more important to me than the physical benefits now that I'm in the stressful sandwich generation stage of life.

That my regular route was also part of my regular mind-care was something I long felt. But as I tell my students -- all working hard on a research project right now -- the best arguments can combine some of the personal with some of the expertise of specialists in fields we're not as familiar with, so it's really cool to see it's not just (pun intended!) all in my head.

To make your run even more of a mental health boost, my non-expert but real-life advice is:

1. Get outside!

There are so many mental health benefits to being outside, so combine the run with nature, and you get a double whammy.

Gorgeous gold, happy mind

2. Put Some Joy in Your Ears

When I drive, I listen to NPR -- great for staying on top of the world, but NOT exactly a mental health relax. When I run, I listen to things that are pure happiness. Musicals. 80s jams. Or some of my favorite Peloton app instructors -- just today, I was taking a Queens-themed run with Matty Maggiacomo and not only did it inculde Tony Bennett AND Cyndi Lauper, but he quoted one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite novels, The Great Gatsby. Pure joy indeed!

3. Dress to Destress (instead of impress)

So, apparently there is now actually a word for this -- "dopamine dressing" or putting on clothes to make your mood boosted, but I just call fun run wear. As a toddler mom and community college prof, I am often dressing only for practicality -- i.e. how much coffee can I spill on this and still look OK, so lots of black and navy. But I love me a big bold color, so when I run, I gravitate towards the obnoxious end of the color wheel. Kelly green leggings? On it. Run a marathon in a tutu? DONE that! Glitter headbands? Girl, can't pass them up. Whatever your happy color or shade is, throw it on.