April Jeanette Mendez Instagram – The face of delirious glee after surviving my first real workout in over a month. Had to take a fitness break because my energy levels were low during a really long depressive cycle. It’s a totally normal, manageable part of my mental health experience, but I’m still learning to adjust to it. Depression makes it hard to find motivation, but the irony is exercise helps me recover and feel better. So I have to balance taking a restorative break with getting back into the gym for invigorating adrenaline and healing endorphins. If you’re feeling down, don’t rush yourself or beat yourself up. Just know when you’re ready, exercise can actually be a source of energy and comfort. AND muscle memory is legit cuz my abs were like “hiya buddy we’re still here, take your time girl” and I was like “thank you for your patience and resilience through all the comfort carbs lemme take a pic real quick” and then we high-fived but I really just smacked myself in the stomach.