Limit time sitting down

In the same vein, don’t sit for hours on end at your computer or in front of your TV. The act of simply standing up from work every so often is hugely important for your health and can help you shake off the day. A 2020 study showed that high sedentary time was associated with a higher risk of anxiety symptoms, so try shaking off every hour with a walk around your home.

Be a morning person

If morning activity feels too much right now, morning light viewing is still a great way to feel better. By viewing sunlight or bright light first thing, you set your cortisol for the day. Simply going outside or looking at a light can help you feel more awake and, when you’re ready, you can start to add movement into that process.

Join a group

Scheduling in an activity is a good way to get it done, but it’s easier to cancel on yourself than on others. Signing up for a walk or run club – even if it’s just an informal session with friends – will get you out of your house and moving. Events are also great for this – signing up for a ParkRun or the ASICS World Ekiden 2021, a relay marathon, you’ll be part of a motivational community.

Log the results

“I can’t hook you up to an EEG to see the results of physical activity on every individual, but you can self-report some symptoms to prove the trend,” says Dr Stubbs. Using a system like MindUplifter, you can log symptoms before and after moving to chart your own mental health progress. There’s not a lot more motivating than seeing your mood lift in real-time.

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