Don't Just Participate, Narrate

When you are exercising, what do you think of when you don't want to think of what you're doing in the moment? You most likely think of some aspect of your life, past present or future. You play out a story and the role you play in it. Now there's science to suggest that omniscient voice in your head may do more than distract you from physical discomfort. It may help give you a mental health boost.

According to a new study's lead researcher, when we cast ourselves as the narrator of our life story, we actually can weather unpleasant events better than when we're convinced we are victims of circumstance with limited options. The experiment involved written expressions, but all words originate in thoughts, right?

According to an article on the study, "a big takeaway is for people to realize that they are the main character in their story — but they are also the narrator. That means it’s possible to re-write the episode with a greater sense of agency.” Agency in this instance means power and autonomy over one’s life.

Circling this around to running, when you find yourself struggling, shift from focusing on the discomfort (provided it's just from fatigue) to playing out the scene as if you were telling your own story with a little emotional distance. Do you want to be read as weak or strong? Strong, of course. With a little thought, it will happen.