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Moving to Vancouver from Dubai was a significant transition in my life. While Dubai is known for its vibrant life, it’s not a walkable city at all and the harsh weather constrains activities to be indoor. In contrast, Vancouver's natural scenery and infrastructure provide the perfect opportunity to go out and explore nature. Over the past two of months, I picked up the self-care strategy of jogging. Prior to my decision I had gained some weight, as I wasn't moving as much, in addition being new to Vancouver meant I needed to explore the city. Jogging has allowed me to combine both goals, while allowing me to disconnect from my stressors, to improve my mental health. While I'm not experienced using Padlet, I chose this medium as I thought it promoted creativity as it's highly flexible, furthermore it’s a platform I can learn to use to improve my skills.

Note: When starting out my journey, I didn't track my runs using the app I use now (Strava), however I still have pictures which I will attach.

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By far my hardest jog, felt like finding something different instead of jogging.

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For my self-care project, I chose to demonstrate my jogs using scenery images, tracking apps etc., however this does not fully encompass the major theory concepts, which I will address below.

Psychology of Stress

Jogging has by far impacted my stress levels the most. The main reason being the release of endorphins which always leaves me with a 'runners high', known to reduce stress (Linden, 2021). In addition, I've found that running outdoors is so different to running on a treadmill indoors, where I can connect with nature and have the sound of the birds chirping calm me down.

Physiology of Stress

After Jogging for 2 months now, I can say there's been a notable improvement in my cardiovascular health, which has lowered my cortisol (Mateo,2024). In addition, my improved cardiovascular health has allowed me to carry out strenuous activities with lower effort, all while losing bodyfat.

Reframing

As I grew up overweight, being asked to run in PE class would always feel like a burden and a chore. I often dreaded running as it felt like I was being forced against my will. However, as I've matured and I've found my own way with running, where I now look forward to my runs and often feel weird if I take too much time off without going on a jog.

Mindfulness & Nature:

I find these two concepts to be closely linked under the context of jogging. Jogging through nature has evoked a meditative experience, which allows me to be in the moment and appreciate the beautiful scenes around me. More recently, I decided to ditch the headphones and just enjoy the sounds of nature, and to appreciate the blessings around me.

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This self-care project has been transformative for me, not only have I been able to lose weight. But I've seen noticeable improvements in my mental health and well-being. Jogging has become my go to meditative practice, which allows me to connect with nature. I intend to continue integrating different physical activities and exploring the world around me for holistic well-being.

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Month 2: Jog 4 (Jericho Beach + UBC Campus)

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Month 2: Jog 4 (Jericho Beach + UBC Campus)

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My first jog with a friend, ended with a nice walk 

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Month 2: Jog 3 (Pacific Spirit Park & Jericho Beach)

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Month 2: Jog 3 (Pacific Spirit Park & Jericho Beach)

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Really started embracing nature and the beauty of the scenes on this jog.

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Felt weird running in a completely different city (Vancouver is so much nicer to jog in) 

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My project primarily addresses Physical, Emotional, Psychological and Environmental Self-Care

Physical Self-Care - Through incorporating regular jogs (1-2 times a week), I've been able to improve my physical appearance by losing fat and building muscle.

Emotional Self-Care - Jogging helps control and manage my emotions, as it allows me to channel my stress and anger into physical activity.

Psychological Self-Care - I now perceive running as a reward, which allows me to take breaks when I have academic stress, and serves as a mental break from day to day stressors.

Environmental Self-Care - By spending more time outside, I've developed an appreciation for my surroundings, to be present in such a beautiful city.

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I can't lie, this jog was stressful, particularly because I had never ran off trail before.

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The flowers were so nice not to take a picture.

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Linden, D.J. (2021) The truth behind ‘Runner’s high’ and other mental benefits of running, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-truth-behind-runners-high-and-other-mental-benefits-of-running#:~:text=As%20you%20hit%20your%20stride,euphoric%20state%20following%20intense%20exercise.

Matteo, A. (2024) Cortisol and exercise: How are they linked? Available at: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/mental-health/a60125903/cortisol-and-exercise/