Bethan Wiggett, attendee of Run Talk Run Warwick

This week we are chatting to Bethan Wiggett, a member of RTR Warwick. Below she shares her journey throughout university and just how she came about attending the RTR Warwick group.

Bethan Wiggett, attendee of Run Talk Run Warwick…

I first became aware of mental health when I went to university. I constantly compared myself to others and felt under pressure to be having the time of my life. In reality, I felt incredibly isolated and I quickly began to show signs of depression and anxiety. Health anxiety in particular took over my life, because it caused real physical symptoms that prevented me from doing the things I loved, including exercise. It was a vicious cycle: the worse I felt, the less care I took of my body, which only made me feel worse. I was very aware of the stigma and was afraid of being labelled a hypochondriac, so I avoided talking about it. 

During the pandemic, I was on furlough for many months and was terrified of spending an indefinite period of time sitting around with my thoughts. I referred myself for therapy but there was a long waiting list (9 months in the end). So, I tried to keep busy with lots of new pastimes and ended up going for a run. It hurt a lot but I was glad that I’d tried. Over time, I noticed a trend. On days that I’d been for a run, my thoughts were quieter and less powerful, and on the days in between, my mood had fewer ups and downs. I felt stronger and better about myself, I stopped being afraid of getting out of breath, I even started wearing shorts in public.

I had found something that helped and I wanted motivation to keep it up regularly, which is what led me to Run Talk Run. I was very nervous the first time, but I said so to one of the leaders and he put me at ease by opening up about his experiences. I was expecting to be unable to a) talk while running and b) talk openly. I was like a duck to water though and it felt good! It’s connected me to a community at a time when more and more people are feeling lonely.

There are lots of things I do to take care of my mental health these days. Run Talk Run is just one of them, because after getting injured twice, I know I can’t always rely on being able to run. First and foremost, there’s no substitute for real treatment if you’re struggling to cope. I’ve had a few different types of therapy over the years which have added tools to my belt. Meditation, drawing, being outdoors, and moving my body in any way (swimming, dancing, cycling) help too. There’s no one magic fix and it’s something that I’ll probably need to keep working on and adding to for many more years.

If I could give one piece of advice to someone who is nervous about attending their first Run Talk Run or Walk Talk Walk, it would be to just say so when you get there. The chances are someone will say, “Me too”, or, “So was I the first time”. You won’t be the only one and there won’t be any shame or judgement for being open about it.