Sometimes I think what I talk about here is just too simple.
I mean, why even say it? But it does seem like so many of the things that really matter are very simple, and so many of the things that are really helpful are very simple.
And really, one of the simplest and most helpful things that I know about is simply going for a walk.
It’s been so helpful for me, and I wish that I had started it a lot earlier.
But all it is is taking a break, going for a walk, Maybe around the neighbourhood, go walk in a park.
If there’s a nice location near where you live, a nice little route: just simply go for a walk.
No purpose to it, just the walk itself.
Then come back inside.
And somehow, so much has been refreshed.
There’s so much value in it.
I think one of the things that was holding me back from doing it is just that it just feels like a waste of time.
Like, what am I doing? I’m not going anywhere.
I’m not getting anything done.
I’m going out and walking and then walking back.
Maybe just walking in a big circle.
So what’s the point of that? so that feeling of it not being of any value seems reasonable.
So it’s not producing any value, and it also doesn’t seem particularly fun, because, you know, you’re not really doing anything except walking.
It’s not like you’re walking through paradise garden, you know.
It’s just like the streets of your neighbourhood.
If you’re lucky there’s a little park nearby, but mostly just walking around the streets.
Not too much to see.
It’s also not really exploring much, because you’ve probably seen it all before.
So it really does seem like a boring and useless thing to do.
And yet, somehow, it has such a powerful effect in improving my overall state of mind, my overall happiness, my overall perspective.
Just giving myself a break, for one thing, a break from being, you know, always looking at a screen.
A break from sitting in a chair.
A break from being inside a room surrounded by walls and a roof.
Just a break from whatever I’m working on.
So automatically it has that break there.
And it’s a better break than just like, yeah, you could stop working and then check your social media messages, but you’re still looking at a screen.
So even though the content of what you’re doing, you get a break from the actual content of your work, but you’re still in the same form of sitting, screen.
But the walk, you get a break from that entire mode of operation.
You get to go outside.
And there’s the next thing.
You get to get some fresh air, maybe some sunshine, but at least some fresh air for sure, and be able to breathe in some air from the outside instead of being inside all day.
I mean, we’re so used to being inside almost all the time that this becomes our normal environment, and yet there’s something about being in the open air, where there’s more air circulation, where we’re getting this fresh breeze, instead of inside, where the air is only slowly circulating.
So we get that fresh air.
And then, of course, stretching the legs, getting that simple exercise.
I mean, it’s not Olympic training, it’s not the greatest exercise in the world, but it is a very simple movement, that that expression “stretch the legs”: just kind of shake out any kind of stress in the body can just be kind of like shaken out a little bit with some walking.
And then just simply enjoy the day, whatever weather is out there, to be more connected to nature.
Because even if it’s just a city street, even if you don’t even see a single green thing, there’s no nature around, you’re still getting closer to nature than you are sitting at a desk, because you are getting at least some sky and some air, and you’re being out there in the weather.
And so I don’t know what I’m missing.
Maybe there’s yet another thing to add to this list of the benefits of simply going for a walk.
So, you know, I almost have a hard time talking about it because it just seems so simple.
Why even mention it? But seems like something that I need to remind myself why it’s actually valuable, so that I continue to do it.
So I like to take a walk, usually maybe after lunch and after dinner seems to be a good time to just go for a little circuit, and maybe explore the neighbourhood, or just do the same old route, and it’s just like hitting a reset button, and it helps me to get a fresh start and focus on what matters.
So I’d be curious to hear about your own walking experience.
Do you have a route you like to follow, and a routine? and what do you do?
#takeawalk #goforawalk #walkabout