Running Longer Helped Me Manage Anxiety

A health and fitness editor shares how increasing her mileage improved her mental health.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Monique LeBrun, a health and fitness editor, shares how running longer distances helped her manage her anxiety. She was dealing with work, family, and financial stress, and felt like she was constantly playing catch-up. Running during her lunch break and training for a half marathon helped her improve her consistency and gave her the confidence she needed to start running longer. As her mileage increased, she felt happier, more patient, and calmer, and realized running has the power to change more than just your physical health - it can also revamp your mental health.

Why it matters

This story highlights how running can be an effective way to manage anxiety and improve mental health. As more people struggle with anxiety, especially in high-stress environments, this personal account provides insights and inspiration for how running longer distances can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and promote overall well-being.

The details

Monique LeBrun, a health and fitness editor, was dealing with work, family, and financial stress, and felt like she was constantly playing catch-up. She was experiencing symptoms of anxiety, including constant worry, tense body, and GI distress, but brushed them off as 'normal.' After opening up to her therapist, she was encouraged to focus on one task at a time and avoid an 'all or nothing' approach. Running during her lunch break helped her improve her consistency, and as she started training for a half marathon, her long runs became her designated 'me' time. As her mileage increased, she felt happier, more patient, and calmer, realizing that running has the power to change more than just your physical health - it can also revamp your mental health.

  • Monique was dealing with these issues this time last year.
  • She started running during her lunch break as the weather got warmer.

The players

Monique LeBrun

A health and fitness editor who is based in Easton, Pennsylvania and covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, with a primary focus on running performance and nutrition.

Brant Satchel

A MA in applied counseling psychology, mental performance coach at CEPmindset, and USATF-certified endurance coach at TeamRunRun.

Jacob Meyer

An assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin who previously told Runner's World that people who exercise generally feel less stressed, less depressed, less anxious, less fatigued, more energetic, and tend to have better cognitive function.

John Ratey

An associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who explains that GABA is the brain's brake, stopping the brain from getting too excited, and that having more of those chemicals in the hippocampus, which is the center of stress, keeps you calm.

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What they’re saying

“You can categorize anxiety as repetitive fear or repetitive thoughts of future events.”

— Brant Satchel, MA in applied counseling psychology, mental performance coach at CEPmindset, and USATF-certified endurance coach at TeamRunRun (NationalToday.com)

“People who exercise generally feel less stressed, less depressed, less anxious, less fatigued, more energetic, and tend to have better cognitive function.”

— Jacob Meyer, Assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin (NationalToday.com)

“GABA is really important because it's the brain's brake. It stops the brain from getting too excited. So if you have more of those chemicals in the hippocampus, which is not only the center of memory and learning but also the center of stress, it keeps you calm.”

— John Ratey, Associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (NationalToday.com)

What’s next

Monique plans to continue her training and focus on maintaining her consistent running routine to manage her anxiety.

The takeaway

This story demonstrates how running longer distances can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety and improving overall mental health. By increasing her mileage and embracing the discomfort, Monique was able to reframe negative thoughts, develop a better understanding of her body's physical reactions to stress, and find a sense of calm and control that carried over into other areas of her life.