A recent research paper published in the academic journal Psychology, Health and Medicine has highlighted the wide-ranging benefits of parkrun for those living with a mental health condition. The impacts were found to be greatest for those who walk or run, as well as volunteer. A team of researchers undertook a detailed analysis of…
October was mental health month, with the theme of ‘tune in’. Bellarine Psychology in Victoria wanted to do something more than the usual social media awareness to connect with their team and local community, so a morning volunteering at parkrun was a natural fit. Marnie Holden, a Clinical Psychologist at Bellarine Psychology, tells us more. …
Life begins at 40 is a catch cry I’d heard and I was never one embarrassed of having a birthday or sharing my age – in fact I enjoy celebrating everyone’s birthday and especially my own. However due to some of life’s circumstances in my mid-forties when I thought I would be having the…
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi is a GP, TV doctor and triathlete! He shares his top five ways walking helps your mental health. There are about 500 ways in which walking is good for your mental health, so this will be difficult, but here are my top five. These are why each Saturday morning I can be found…
Alicia Hopper is a nurse that has always encouraged being open about mental health, but when it came to her own mental health, she initially struggled. Alicia describes how she came to terms with her mental health and got involved at parkrun to help manage it. In my mid-twenties I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It…
32-year-old Maddie Macfarlane from Lake Boga parkrun in Victoria lives with social anxiety. Maddie tells us about the strategies she uses to get herself to parkrun each week, and how parkrun has become an important coping mechanism for her mental health. My social anxiety presents as overthinking and worrying about what people might think…
parkrun came into my life about six years ago, just after I had my daughter. Running has long been an important way for me to stay mentally and physically healthy, so I was intrigued when a friend invited my family to try Westerfolds parkrun. It quickly became a regular part of our Saturday mornings. When…
I am a 63-year-old woman. I struggled with my weight when I was young, and some members of my family have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, so there is a genetic disposition. I was diagnosed with post-natal depression after my second child, aged 40. The prescribed drugs didn’t help, but I did discover…
Bill Greenwood volunteers as a Run Director at Dubbo parkrun, and as a Crisis Support Officer. Bill, a retired detective and Vietnam veteran, explains why the two roles have become intertwined over the past four years, and how the simple act of coming to the park on a Saturday morning can have a profound…
The following article contains strong themes. If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, please call triple zero (000). 24-hour support is also available at Lifeline and Beyond Blue. I am a co-Event Director at a parkrun in Victoria. I live with general and social anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, severe depression and suicidal thoughts. …
