An exercise routine has helped me a lot, exercising sporadically, not so much. I don’t really feel a sudden sense of relief from a single session, but I’ve noticed that when I’m working out regularly, I feel better overall. It’s not a sudden change, and not a “cure all”, but it helps me focus better during the day, sleep better at night, crave less junk food/alcohol, and just feel less sense of “everything sucks”. The routine also really helps me stick to other daily habits that I’m embarrassed to admit I struggle with, such as brushing my teeth.

I’m currently working to get back on my full routine, but in the past, I did weightlifting Mon-Fri, with intense cardio (running, stairs, etc.) MWF and chill cardio (walking) TTh. When I was really, really into it, that naturally led to being quite active on weekends too, such as 5k’s, long ass walks around town, and hiking.

My advice to anyone trying to start a routine is to start small and gradually build it up. So step 1 for getting back to my full routine right now is a short daily walk. Once the short walks become a natural part of my daily rhythm, I might make the walks a little longer, add in a little running, and/or add in some light strength training moves, all depending on my overall goals and what feels within reach.