Men's Mental Health: Dan's Story

Hello, my name is Daniel Groth or Dan as most people call me now a days. I have spent a good chunk of my 20’s struggling with depression and anxiety. Although this pandemic has brought lots of challenges, it has also forced me out of my comfort zone and to find other ways to find myself being able to help cope with the mental struggles that I face. With the help of the Instagram group YEG Wellness Collective, I joined a 30-Day Gratitude Challenge group where I was to make note of things I was grateful for each night. This helped me realize the importance in the things I had, and also helped me look forward to the next day and what the next task they were going to post for us was going to be. This was a very positive challenge that took me out of my comfort zone as it forced me to accomplish something I normally wouldn’t do in my everyday life and overall, had a positive influence on me. 

Living in these trying times have been tough but it has also taught me grow on a more personal level. It was in these COVID 19 pandemic times that I have had to challenge myself to grow on a much deeper level than ever before. Although a lot has been restricted from me, it has also let me make time for things that make me happy or taking part in activities I haven’t ever experienced before or haven’t experienced in a while. One of those activities is cycling. Pre COVID, I hadn’t touched a bike since junior high school. In April of 2020, I came to the urgent decision to buy a bike. During the summer of this pandemic, I challenged myself to go on countless long bike rides ranging from the north east side of Edmonton’s Quarry Ridge, through Edmonton’s River Valley, all the way to the west side of MacKinnon Ravine Park discovering several new trails along my way. There were times where my rides clocked out at 5 hours long. I also ended up purchasing a GoPro for the first time to record some of my rides. Not only did I enjoy this activity, but it was also very good for my mental health and wellbeing at the time. It was an activity I am excited to continue next summer! I encourage others to take part in some sort of physical activity to help them cope with their mental health!!