Bodybuilding. Seriously. Go to the gym and lift heavy. Lift daily. Spend 1.30-2 hours daily lifting weights. Start with a trainer if you have never done any competitive sports before. Fix your diet and eat a lot of protein.
I promise you that you will not recognize yourself in 6 months to a year. Both physically and psychologically.
IMHO a lot of issues we face in our times are because of the lack of exercise.
Totally agree with this. Getting a trainer is key if you are new - they take all the brain work out of it for you: so you just have to show up. They will also ensure your form is good, so you don’t get injured 2 months in (which happens when people lurch off the couch and into a 5x/week CrossFit regimen). If that’s cost prohibitive, read Starting Strength or check out 5x5 (five by five) for workout programming.
Regarding self-esteem: in addition to improving your physical appearance and general feeling of well-being, exercise also teaches you intimately how to use your will to push through problems/adversity, which builds self-confidence immensely.
Building yourself is also more rewarding than building any work project: nobody can take from you what you build for yourself, and you get out of it directly what you put in. How often can you say that about work?
I did this 3 years ago and it will improve almost every single aspect of your life. Confidence, focus, energy, and general daily attitude/mood. Few things to note. Technique is extremely important. Don't just lift heavy, get a trainer or join a group class and learn the correct technique first. Then lift heavy, easiest way to start is to do the Strong 5x5, get to know it well, then slowly experiments with other programs.
Don't want to post a shallow comment, but this 100%.
My life turned around just after 6 months of working out regularly. It's easy to improve self esteem when others see you in a much better light, and working out will make that happen. From physical transformation (no matter how small) to small dopamine highs you will get after putting in work.
In 2009, I had been depressed for 3 years after I arrived in the United States. I made no friends in that time, and I gained about 70 lbs. High school was rough, then the year before my senior year, I started lifting.
I didn't do competition, but I started working out regularly to improve my physic.
I can say that just being able to see daily progress and feel in control of something made a difference.
I read some self help books, but lifting definitely gave me a boost in my esteem and made me feel that I could make changes in my life and that I wasn't powerless.
I agree with this, but do it for yourself, not (for the opinion of) others. It's easy to make this a superficial exercise (doing it to pose and look good etc), but it can become a longer-lasting and healthier habit if you focus on the wonderful impact it will have on your well-being. The superficial fringe benefits are nice by-products.
When I switched my mindset from the superficial to something more meaningful, regular exercise started making more sense to me, I was more comfortable with my motivations, and I found I stuck to it for longer.
As a powerlifter who has dealt with depression many times in the past, I totally agree. The beauty of lifting is that it gives you a set of goals with very clear success metrics that are readily attainable. There are also well proven programs for success into the intermediate level that don't require much tuning regardless of discipline (bodybuilding, powerlifting, weight lifting, strongman, etc). No matter what happens in your professional or personal life, the iron will always be there for you :)
This right here. I'm not a bodybuilder but I do get my weekly cardio in. Makes you feel powerful in a way nothing else does. If you don't exercise regularly I'd focus on this first.
Another +1 on this. This seriously fixes a lot, not everything, but a lot. Been doing it for almost 10 years now, and when you fall off track or get in future ruts. It's such a great tool to get back on track. Getting a great workout in always seems to right the ship and set you up for course corrections. Oh also give Brazilian jiu jitsu a try.
I promise you that you will not recognize yourself in 6 months to a year. Both physically and psychologically.
IMHO a lot of issues we face in our times are because of the lack of exercise.