one step at a time
Recently I’ve started walking more. I don’t know why but I can find it so hard to just get out of the house and away from my work. It sounds so easy, to just put down the laptop, put some trainers on and get out of the house. Why is it so difficult sometimes?
I have now made a pact with myself to get out once a day for a walk (ideally an hour) but even if I don’t do an hour, to just get out and be present in my surroundings whilst on that walk. Listen to my footsteps, hear the birds, try not to check my phone (this was extremely hard in the beginning but it gets easier, trust me).
The most simplest of tasks it seems, was such a difficulty on some days so I would choose the comfortable option that I was used to. Making up excuses - work’s too busy, I’ll go tomorrow, too tired. But I know I feel so good after a nice walk and that a sedentary lifestyle would impact my health dramatically. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), physical inactivity increases all-cause mortality rates by 20-30% which is just crazy. Plus, I have a degree in Sport Science and Nutrition so I should know how the body works right? So why couldn’t I get out the house?
We create a habit, it becomes our norm. To break that habit is so difficult because our brain has become accustomed to the programmes we have learned and built our life on. It takes a long time, through LOTS of repetition and discipline and of course being ready to make the choice to change, to fully reprogramme these behaviours.
During a task such as walking, you could be on a walk, to get some exercise in but not actually be fully present to the moment with your mind somewhere else, so you aren’t actually experiencing the walk. When I noticed this, I surprised myself as to how many times I'd catch myself drifting off and would have to bring myself back to where I was. But also I've learned that it’s totally ok to notice your mind wandering, the key is to acknowledge these thoughts, let them be and then go back to what you’re doing. We might have learned to distract ourselves when we do certain things because that’s the easier thing to do - it’s harder to face our thoughts and emotions so we feel we might as well override them or put them off until later.
To become aware of our surroundings and the task at hand can help us notice our thoughts, therefore our emotions, allowing us to enjoy the world around us and have a more fulfilled life, improving our longevity and happiness.
I’m no expert and still working towards building the lifestyle I want to live. Of course we can’t fix all of these habits overnight, we probably never will. To create one new behaviour requires work, persistence and patience, let alone many of them.
I ask you to just pick one thing in your life that you want to change and start with that, nothing else. More exercise, more sleep, drinking more water, eating a more varied diet, whatever it is. Just focus on incorporating that one thing and nail that first. Reward yourself and acknowledge when you have completed what you set out to do! Be kinder to yourself for doing the basic, small things - because that’s a very big step to your healthier, happier and truer self. For me I want to get out walking more during the day, it’s a process. What would you like to change in your routine?
#mentalhealth #happiness #walking #routine #wellness #wellbeing #healthylifestyle