Whenever my mind feels a bit too full and in need of a break, there’s always one thing that helps it to calm down and get things sorted a little. That one thing is going for a walk.
Lately (as you guys know) my mind has been a bit all over the place, and at times it felt like it was just spread as thin as it could possibly get. I knew it was time to do something about that. Needed to get back into the good routines that I used to have. Or maybe it was just time for some new ones.
Then I had a thought. The place where I’m working now is one that I always take public transportation to and from. First I take the subway, and then I change over to a bus. It takes me about 30 minutes from the moment I walk out the door, depending on the traffic. But how long would it take me to walk?
So I sat down and started looking at different routes recommended by Google Maps, and found that it didn’t look so bad. I hadn’t really decided that I was going to actually do this until the morning on my birthday (two days ago) when I got up at 5 am and started my day off with 20 minutes of meditation. Just to get such a good start to the day made me highly motivated to try to make more out of the day, and I decided to take the walk.
The 8 km walk (5 miles) took me about an hour and a half, and it felt so good! My mind felt so much calmer and clearer by the time I got to work, and I held a steady pace for the whole walk, so it counts as a bit of good exercise as well! My best friend Kirsti picked me up after work for our Birthday Pyjama Date, so I didn’t walk home that day. Wednesday I had a day off work, but today however I thought it was time to do the walk both to and from, and I did!
Now I’m not saying that walking fixes everything. My brain is constantly filled with way too much that goes on at the same time, but the walking helps me to sort it. To be able to be on the move, and at one with my thoughts, it just makes it so much easier to see the difference between the important thoughts and the unnecessary ones. To differ between voices and noise.
I don’t think that I will be walking to and from work every day, but from now on, I will definitely do it more often.
There’s something so very therapeutic about going for a walk, and I sure as hell needed it! Most of us could, from time to time.
Christina de Vries 
That’s a blog worthy a champion for public health issues. I’ve been there myself, particularly this time of year. Physical benefits aside, there’s so much to gain mentally from being just a notch more active than usually. And walking is a great opportunity to catch up on new music or some podcasts.
Personally, I love winter but can’t stand the new normal that this mild winter is, alternating between beatuiful, snowy days one day and rain again the next. So I long for the time of year I yet again can bike to and from, instead of my feet sailing away on a cold, glazed and perilous surface.
Thank you☺️
I completely agree with you! I like a good winter wonderland, but this gray and wet thing I don’t care much for.
And yes, physical exercise as well as healthy eating and mental exercise does wonders for a mind that’s having a hard time.
I usually listen to music if I want to gather my thoughts, and audiobooks if I want to give my mind a break.
I’ve been caught up with the 10 Minute writer’s workshop-pod lately. Quite inspiring to listen to authors experiences and advices.
That sounds very interesting!! I’ll have to check that out ☺️