I Don’t Believe in Life Hacks, But This 10-Minute Trick Is Super Powerful

A disclaimer right away — this post is about running. If you absolutely can’t stomach running, then this story is not for you. But if you accept that running is one of the most accessible and beneficial activities for mental and physical health, listen carefully and trust me.

For me, running is usually easy and enjoyable because I love it. But I do accept that if you’re untrained or not used to it, running can be a hard activity. And even I, a very experienced runner, occasionally struggle.

This evening, for example, I almost abandoned my run. I had spent hours talking — mostly arguing with my wife — and the overall level of stress had been through the roof. Tuesdays are when I usually do my hard workouts. Today, even stepping out for an easy run, let alone a tough session, felt like an insurmountable challenge. I was fatigued mentally. Mental fatigue for me usually means physical fatigue. I was seconds away from deciding to skip my run. Since I run consistently, I could have easily convinced myself that a little rest wouldn’t do any harm.

But I’ve done it again and again — overcome my stress and fatigue. There is a trick and it’s actually super easy.

Step 1: Just get out. Start. It’s not easy but it takes a few seconds. Start.

Step 2: Run super easy for ten minutes. Those ten minutes might feel like half an hour, and you’ll initially feel heavy in both body and mind, but ten minutes…