While I have mentioned that having a strict training schedule is the key to my continued success at maintaining my motivation to go to the gym, that’s only part of the story. When you work out as much as I do for as long as I have, the endorphins that you get from working out become addictive. I first encountered an endorphin high while training for my first half marathon, but I can get the same result from a really good lifting workout as well. One reason I prefer working out in the morning is that I can ride this “high” through the rest of my day. My mood is elevated and I just feel good even when I’m sore. On the flip side, on days that I don’t get in my workout I tend to feel more sluggish and unmotivated. It’s amazing what a difference a workout makes in how my whole day goes. I also suffer from anxiety and the endorphins I get from working out really help me to not get overwhelmed so easily. The few times I’ve had to take extended breaks from working out due to sickness or injuries were really rough on me. For example when I had bronchitis and couldn’t breathe for 2 weeks, I was in a really bad place. I wasn’t getting my endorphin fix and my anxiety ran rampant. Even just 1 workout back helped put me in such a better place. So while I continue to work out to improve my physical wellbeing, it has the added benefit of improving my mental wellbeing as well.