Written by Brooke Heather
Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise we can do to take care of our mind, body, and soul. With all the distractions we have in our modern-day world, we often forget the beautiful simplicity of utilising just our bodies and nature.
When I need to ‘decompress’, I often reach straight for my phone to have some solitude, which isn’t necessarily bad. However, the time that I spend on my phone is often more than the time it would take to go for a walk.
Why is walking/exercise a healthier way to destress?
Reflect on how you feel in the current techniques you use to destress; I encourage you to think about if you feel better or worse afterward. For me, when I go down the Instagram rabbit hole, I’m often left with a dreadful bag of emotions. The exposure from social media can be particularly toxic when we’re already under pressure and can trigger an array of unhelpful thoughts during a stressful time. I make an extra conscious effort to walk and exercise during stress-inducing periods, as I honestly cannot think of any way that this negatively affects me. How many activities are we gifted with that have no downsides, right?!
How to destress while walking:
Mindfulness. My favourite word. The best thing about mindfulness is that it can be applied to anything you’re doing – mindful reading, mindful eating, and of course mindful walking. If you’re not familiar with the concept of mindfulness, I would best summarise it as the practice of becoming aware of your mind and body and appreciating all the sensations that flow within.
Mindful walking consists of firstly of taking five minutes of your walk to notice your surroundings, capturing the noises, trees, insects, and the busy flow of the world. Next, I’d point out that you can create a combination by playing your favourite music or possibly a podcast/audiobook. This offers the best of both worlds for someone who likes some background noise.
Exercise’s positives on the body:
It’s a known concept that exercise is great for the mind, but you may wonder how this is. The release of endorphins allows you to feel a rush of happiness and usually provides a calm during hectic times. Endorphins are boosted in exercise or walking, particularly when done with company or in nature. Regular exercise promotes a healthier mind and enhances one’s ability to cope with stress, something that’s especially valuable during exam periods.
I hope this blog has prompted you to consider how you de-stress and how you can utilise walking to improve this skill. Remember to take a moment each day to unwind, and an extra moment to process emotions when going through a stressful patch. Good luck to everyone with their exams!
Charlie blog is a SSAF initiative.
