How to manage your Mental Health - Leon Taylor

Back in 2022, when I was dealing with some of the toughest challenges of my life , I was in a state of constant anxiety. During one of my therapy sessions, my therapist made me watch this Ted talk by Leon Taylor on how to manage my mental health. This was in one of the sessions when she was insisting on me having more physical movements. Today, 3 years later, I can say that it was the most powerful and helpful ted talk I ever saw.

Leon Taylor

Leon shared his journey from being an hyperactive child to someone who found physical movements as their escape to happiness and being okay. He talked about how he found joy in diving when his parents forced him to do more and more physical activities to deal with their “Problem child”. His parents’ choice to channel his energy into sport gave Leon structure, outlet, and eventually purpose. He competed in three Olympics, and won a medal in 2004. He directly credits this path to his parents choosing physical movement as “medicine” for his life. What started as a necessity later became his source of joy.

Our nervous system interprets physical movement as if we are preparing to “flight or flee” in response to which our brain releases BDNF, brain derived neurotropic factor, and endorphins, which helps to dull pain and discomfort which eventually improves mood. Taylor emphasis on repeated movements stating that it can restructure the brain by improving self esteem and building resilience.

The two practical pathways by him were of great help to me and I would love for you to know them too. First stresses on to immediately start moving when you feel stress building up. It could be as little as a short walk. But what drives me more is the second one. It mixes movement with joy. Simply put, finding joy and meaning in movement. As it was diving in his case.

In the end, find your movement, bring joy into it, and let it be your weapon against the stress that threatens your mental health.

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states. - Carol Welch

Credits

Naman Agarwal

2025-2027