Karolina's Story: A Little Exercise Goes a Long Way

I have been battling with an ongoing health issue that, while not being life threatening, leaves me quite depressed about my life and really has an effect on my overall motivation and the willingness to get up in the morning.

I found that physical exercise clears my head, gives me perspective and a sense of achievement. All this amounts to me being generally happier and more positive.

As you can imagine, making that first initial effort to get off your posterior and actually do something is not easy. Especially when you are already feeling low, had a break because you were unwell or the weather just makes you want to curl up in front of the telly with some hot cocoa. What I find helps me then (apart from the hot cocoa of course) is a routine. I have everything pre-prepared (I am a bit of a control freak) and I set my mind on doing the exercise when I come back from work for example. And it works.

Having had an operation recently, I cannot do any exercise at the moment, and I already feel the gloom is setting in. I try to overcome it but going for walks with my dog, walking to work and at lunch time - little things to keep me moving. Thankfully Spring has finally arrived, so it's easy to do. I can feel those little things making a massive difference. You really don't need a lot.