As a person that is overweight along with the necessary medications to maintain my mental health, it can be challenging at times when the opportunity presents itself to go outside and get some fresh air to be active. There are times when I experience bouts of energy and times when I do not. But anxiety is one of the big players that prohibits me from taking initiative in doing things that I know I need to do that make me feel uncomfortable.

It is not that I do not like to get outside, it is hard as it is for many people, regardless of neurotype to find the motivation to do what is needed to become healthier. However, there is a reality that I like to go outside and explore the town in which I live, but the hardest thing is taking the initial steps to do it. Recently, it has been discovered because of being autistic is the fact that I struggle with transitions. It can be hard to switch gears to a different environment, especially if I must vacate one that makes me feel uncomfortable.

Once I do get outside and get going, I can do what I wish to do, and I typically throw no qualms about it. A few years ago, when I would walk on the rail trail with my mother, because I felt that it was my time to vent and focus on all of the negatives instead of embracing the beauty of the nature that we were experiencing, this became a very negative experience for me and at time made the experience become sour. There were a lot of things the past few years until I came to accept things and eventually while others dissipated from my landscape, the relationship was less strained, and I now enjoy walks on the trail when we have them.

There were times when I would walk several miles to relieve stress and get to the destination that I would want to be at in the community. However, being more medicated and grounded has made me lack the motivation to take the initiative to do what I used to enjoy. Additionally, struggling with transitions and anxiety can make the difficulty of taking initiative more challenging. Granted, we are just coming off winter, but that should not mean that I should be more adamant about having initial activity.

I know that I must do it and when I finish, I feel so much better when I do. This past weekend, in my weight loss support group’s private Facebook group, a fellow member gave me the advice of getting out in the beautiful weather that we were experiencing that day to walk and enjoy the weather. There was more of a struggle with challenges than there was anxiety, even as things were note exactly as I would have wanted along my walk, I did not give up and had a decent walk to where I was able to get out of the house for a little bit and be able to take in the pleasant weather that we were experiencing that day.

 I know that I need to do better when it comes to taking the initiative to get out and being active. Within time it gets better but realizes that along with other progress will increase the inertia and continue to be better at being active.