Hungry Runner Girl: Running Through Tough Times

My divorce took one year to be finalized. In those 365 days, there was a lot of stress, emotions and rough spots. Running played a huge role in my healing process, along with an incredibly supportive family and counseling. When everything in my whole world was changing, running was still there and it wasn’t going anywhere.

Part of being a human is going through hard times. The overall goal during these tough moments is to be resilient and to come out of these trying situations stronger and more compassionate towards others. I know that running helped me get through some really rough times. I want to share why it has benefited me. My hope is to motivate someone, who struggling in life, to get out and lace up their running shoes as a way to help heal themselves.

Running helped me to deal with my stress levels. We all know that exercise is an incredible stress reliever. Running allowed me to go out for an hour or so, and come back home feeling like my load was a lot lighter. During my runs, I was able to think clearly, problem solve and decompress. Pounding out my emotions on the pavement was very beneficial for me.

Running has always helped me to count my blessings. When life is hard, the best thing for me to do is to look at all that I have. Focusing on what I have rather than what I do not have increases my happiness levels by a lot. When I am out on a run, I become more and more positive as the miles go by. I realize how thankful I am for a healthy body that allows me to see the world via my running shoes. During the divorce, I was able to come back from a run with a brand new perspective that focused on the good things in life rather than what I was struggling with.

It got me out of bed in the mornings. There were some days that I simply did not want to face the situation. I wanted to stay in bed all day. But I knew that if I would just get up and run, I would be able to handle everything else with a better attitude. Knowing that I had running partners waiting for me for a run started my day in the best way possible- a good sweat.

Running gave me some much needed confidence. Accomplishing a tough track workout or running a personal record (I am a great angry runner) boosted up my confidence and helped me to realize my strength both physically and mentally.

How has running helped you to get through the hard times in life? What are some of the benefits that you experience now from your running? Tweet me @hungryrunnergrl or @womensrunning to share your story.