I know how hard things can be at times. It’s easy to find yourself feeling suffocated by day-to-day pressures. Which is why it’s so important to find the fun in life.
People might wonder why I’d say something like that, but sometimes you can find yourself on the floor without quite realising how you got there. And I know better than most that mental and physical health are massively connected.
Anyone who follows me on social media knows how much I enjoy both watching and creating fun videos – just watch me taking my tank for a spin through the drive-thru at my local McDonald’s! But it doesn’t have to be something big like that.
I’ll get just as much pleasure from putting my phone on a selfie-stick and messing about on my bike with my son. Or, if I’m feeling a little lazier, I’ll cheer myself up by watching some mad gym videos on my laptop – it’s great to see people making the mistakes we all make. Let’s face it, who hasn’t broken wind while straining on a piece of gym equipment?
The reason I mention all this is that when dealing with a sport like strongman it’s easy to become a little obsessed; to feel that the gym, the weights, the training are all that matters. Take it from one who knows, that’s not how it works. Your life, like your training, should be multi-dimensional. Only then will your mind – the most important muscle of all – operate to its full potential.
Relaxation is the oil that makes it work. Stress, which can, if we’re not careful, sometimes be self-inflicted, is what seizes it up.
I see some sportspeople who put themselves out there as nothing but sport, sport, sport. Their lives are one-track and, it seems, incredibly serious. I wonder if that’s the true them or if maybe they’re a little bit afraid of showing another side to themselves. I hope not because everything benefits from light and shade – and exercise and sport is no different.
I’d say to them and anyone else that lightening up – and showing that part of yourself to others – is a huge part of personal fulfilment and success.
Try it for yourself and see what happens. Oh, and you don’t need to buy a tank!
Check out my videos at https://www.instagram.com/eddiehallwsm/?hl=en and https://www.facebook.com/eddiehallwsmlegend