Mental Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes mental health as being how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life, and also as playing a role in how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Our role in Campus Recreation is to help you strengthen your mind by strengthening your body.
Through scientific research, we know that physical activity has positive effects on stress/anxiety, mood, depression, and self-esteem. Whether you are a DePaul student, a member of the DePaul faculty or staff, an alum, or a community member of our facility, we hope that you’ll take advantage of our various offerings so that you can experience positive mental health consistently. In addition, below you’ll find just a few pieces of information that you may find interesting, as well as expert resources and tools available that can help you address mental health issues.
Depression
Physical activity can reduce symptoms of depression, and you can experience the benefits of exercise from just a single workout, although the greatest effects occur from regular exercise. Research suggests that it does not matter whether the activity is aerobic (cardiovascaular) or anaerobic (such as resistance training or yoga). It also appears that benefits are not specific to gender or age. The greatest benefit of exercise on depression has been seen in those who have been diagnosed with depression. Ironically, a depressed person often does not feel like being active, yet it is one of the best things that person can do.
Self-Esteem
You can also increase your general self-esteem through physical activity. The largest benefit is for those individuals who tend to have low self-esteem, but anyone can feel the mental effects of challenging yourself physically, demonstrating self-discipline, and achieving a goal. This increased self-efficacy (your belief in your ability to carry out a specific task; in this case, exercise) can translate to improved overall self-esteem and an enhanced self-image.
Stress/Anxiety
Exercise not only helps reduce heightened levels of stress and anxiety, but it can help prevent them as well. While any form of exercise can be beneficial, it appears that cardiovascular exercise is most effective. However, whichever form of exercise you choose, the length of the workout need not be long at all; in fact, during stressful times, short bursts of activity of even 10 minutes can help lower your stress and anxiety. Keep this in mind as you encounter busy or stressful periods as one way to help you regain control.
Compulsive Exercise
We should mention that while physical activity can enhance one’s life in many ways, too much of a good thing can be harmful in this case. Exercise taken to an extreme is not healthy for your body or your mind, and an obsession with it may be indicative of a mental health issue. (For reference, it is generally recommended that adults get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week, or 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity three days per week.) Compulsive exercise, also known as over-exercise or obligatory exercise, is often associated with disordered eating, and is characterized by long, frequent workouts, consistently choosing exercise over other obligations or social opportunities, and extreme levels of guilt for missing workouts and/or consuming unhealthy foods. Compulsive exercise is a mental health issue, because it centers on one’s extreme effort to gain control in her/his life where it may be lacking in other areas, and is used to cope with emotions. Click here to read our position on compulsive exercise.
Eating Disorders
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, eating disorders are characterized by extremes, such as extreme reduction in food intake or extreme overeating. The two main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. These and other eating behaviors may be accompanied by extreme distress or concern about one’s body weight or shape, and may even be associated with compulsive exercise as a form of weight control. However, in some cases, an eating disorder is not about food, weight, or body image, but rather, about maintaining control in one's life. It is estimated that as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder. If you believe that you or someone you know may suffer from an eating disorder, see the links below to find more detailed information about this issue and resources available to the DePaul community.
Resources & Tools
Of the various dimensions of wellness (see our Wellness home page), mental health is closely related to several, including physical, emotional, intellectual, social, financial, and spiritual wellness. Given that, and the link between mental health and handling stress, relating to others, and making choices, below are some resources and tools that you may find helpful in addressing those dimensions of wellness.
On Campus
Off Campus
Online
Tools