Next Level’s ‘Beautiful Mind’ campaign answers the toughest question during a pandemic

In our struggle with problems, crises and stress, we go through different cycles. From shock to denial, anger, fear to bargaining, reconciliation and acceptance. In the face of pandemic crisis, however, we stand constantly at the precipice of fear, anger and denial. They are exhausting and bring sadness, anxiety and loss of meaning. Just recently, a detailed European Health Interview Study (EHIS) related specifically to the CVD crisis came out, showing that 44.90% of those surveyed over the age of 15 feel tense and stressed, 35% have trouble sleeping, 33.5% have feelings of unhappiness and 60% have a serious dependence on screens and digital devices. All addictions – alcohol, smoking, eating disorders, substance use… have increased manifold, including the use of antidepressants. The Next Level gym chain’s campaign continues to provide support and incentives for mental health prevention through its Beautiful Mind campaign.

What are the sources of anxiety and distress around us?

First of all, the overwhelming flow of information. The media and the internet have flooded us all with an avalanche of all kinds of information. This has led to a public atmosphere of anxiety and confusion. On the other hand, the widespread feeling that one cannot rely on institutions, on employers, on acquaintances, has created a heavy sense of helplessness and doom. The personal struggle with crisis, with loss, with damage prevention, gave rise to many post-traumatic stress disorders.

Why do we find it so difficult to cope with stress, anxiety and distress?

Mostly because of the changes in biochemistry that we all endure for a very long time. Because of the constant tension in the stress axis in our bodies, our limbic system and particularly the amygdala are constantly sending signals to the body bordering on life threatening. All of this leads to distress and subsequent panic states, addictions to alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, self-aggression… all unproductive coping mechanisms for distress and anxiety.

What to do when we feel anxiety?

“The most important thing is to connect our mind to another positive reality through physical activity! We don’t need long and complicated workouts. It is important to be regular and vigorous. Those with a cardio element work to metabolize adrenaline and excess thyroxine in the bloodstream faster. Moderate running, jumping rope, using steppers, practicing lunges, “Jumping Jack”, “Burpees” and so well structured group activities remove the sensations of stiffness and tension in every part of the body. When we know the times and days we will practice aerobic activities, after about a month the body begins to “expect” endorphins – morphine-like substances that create a feeling of well-being,” said psychologist Annie Vladimirova.

How to deal with panic states as a product of distress and post-traumatic stress disorder?

They are an ordeal for the psyche: the palpitations, the sweating, the “softening” of the legs and arms, the urges to run to the toilet, the dizziness, the derealisation and the fear of going mad or dying are unapologetically overwhelming. But:

When we run moderately on the treadmill, we activate the cardiovascular system and the healthy heartbeat we can control. It desensitizes us to fear for our heart, reduces blood acidity, and we feel lighter and fresher.

When we do balanced and instructor-planned strength exercises, we train not just muscles, but increase blood circulation and see that “softened” limbs can do more. We desensitize to the fear of body breakdown and strengthen the peripheral nervous system.
When we begin to sweat from the physical workout, we help release tension from the body, but it is not that cold sweat, but one that we create in a controlled way.

When we train the abdominal muscles, we balance digestion and the subjective feeling of heaviness coming from the fact that anxiety and panic quickly “hit” the rich innervation of the gastrointestinal fact. “It’s no accident that the expression “My stomach is cramping!” is emblematic of all anxiety and panic,” the psychologist recalls.

What to do when we are depressed?

“Anything to do with dance and martial arts-based training gives the mind clear direction and structures it. That is the best reaction against the general negative emotional background. The feeling of being with other people gives us belonging and security. Music in the gym can balance the two brain hemispheres, which is extremely important when we are in the grip of heavy emotions. It’s a battle won with both anxiety, distress and panic,” says Vladimirova.

For all of the conditions listed, the ability to relax is crucial. The most important tool for this is proper breathing, which we learn precisely through cardio exercises, stretching and every movement complex that instructors show us. This is how you get “two birds with one stone” – good breathing equals better concentration and a more relaxed overall body rhythm. Don’t bother using a sauna or steam room either. They are invaluable detoxifying tools for stress biochemistry and raise dopamine, which is responsible for our feelings of coping and ease.

What erases the feeling of not making any sense?

There are two important points here – to maintain regularity of being in the gym, even if we don’t see the point in the beginning, and then to notice the small changes and account for them so that we begin to feel we are coping. Regardless of which type of workout we choose, the actions themselves and the contact with people are evidence that it makes sense! The feeling in every muscle makes sense! Repeating and learning every exercise makes sense! It’s the battery charge that will pay us back! So we will begin to see priorities in life differently. One day we will find it very exciting to pick up our jackets, see familiar faces, feel our muscles, achieve an accomplishment of our own, see smiles and a common goal… And then realize that the four walls, disturbing news and scared faces are not the only reality!