Days as lovely as today make me want to walk and walk and walk and not do anything else! In real life, we can’t usually walk like Forrest Gump, but I’ve been impressed by the power of even a brief, brisk walk to dramatically shift a mood and boost energy.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that when I focus upon my sense of sound as I walk, I become aware of lots of things I hadn’t noticed. In both rural and urban soundscapes there are surprises awaiting if we turn up our ears. It’s also a great way to make a familiar or routine walk a little more interesting, or at least different.
Whenever you find yourself stuck in a thought-loop, a short walk can “get the gerbil off of the wheel” and it’s a simple way to stimulate circulation and get some fresh air to your body and brain. After a quick walk my thoughts are more clear and I have more energy. So before the day gets away from you, please treat yourself to at least a 5-10 minute walk. That will be WAY better for you than a cigarette break, right?!
And maybe to make your familiar walk more fun, take your nose along (I suspect you usually do) and focus your attention on the scents you observe. If you hear, see, and smell different things, you’ll fee different for sure.
Thanks for taking good care of you!
#DFTYA!
