Charles Graham-Dixon (The Guardian) wrote:What began as a way of avoiding the tube and panic attacks has become my primary form of transport, a means to compete and my daily dose of therapy. Counselling and medication have helped but not come close to what cycling offers me. I still have episodes of anxiety/OCD, and worry sometimes takes control, snowballing small doubts and concerns into all-consuming neuroses. Whenever this happens, I go cycling. Whether a short one-hour ride or a four-hour endurance session, cycling declutters my mind and makes everything more simple and manageable.
Key to the therapeutic qualities of cycling is its inherent mindfulness. Focusing on the physical and engaging mind and body purely on riding takes us away from negative, swirling thoughts, which take on such greater and troubling significance when we obsess over them. This unhealthy rumination makes life unnecessarily convoluted, while cycling, at its heart, is a simple activity.
This won't come as much surprise to anyone who rides regularly.