This week I want to continue on my journey of implementing healthy habits in my lifestyle by trying to walk more! We live in such a nice city and I want to enjoy this amazing weather while it lasts. It has been so warm recently, so you don’t even need a jacket to go outside. It still looks like fall though with all the trees becoming brilliant shades of red orange and yellow. School, my house and my work are all in nice distance from each other so I want to take advantage of this and try and go on more walks this week.
Walking has not only great physical benefits but has advantages for your mental health as well. According to Medical News, walking has been proven to help manage anxiety and depression. It also serves as a tool to improve your self-esteem, decreasing negative thoughts. For me, being outside in nature really helps me to decompress from what’s stressing me out and become in touch with my thoughts. It allows me a space to reflect on my day and my problems, usually after a walk I feel more relaxed and less worried about certain issues. It helps when I am not in a rush and I get to enjoy the scenery around me and listen to some music.
Back at home, I would always go on walks with my dog so I always had the motivation to go. These walks were usually the highlight of my day. It makes me a little sad that I can’t go on walks with him here in Victoria, but I know that it is still important for me to get outside and enjoy the benefits!
I want to keep prioritizing my mental health and create spaces for me to focus on my well-being. I found going for a short walk every day, even if it was just home from school was such an easy habit to develop. I liked it so much that it started to spiral upwards and I wanted to keep walking most days. I hope to continue to work on this habit in the next couple weeks while the weather is still nice, I find it to be one of the best ways to help my mental health of the habits I have tried.
Sources:
Azizi, M. (2021, October 8). Does walking help with mental health problems? News. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Does-Walking-Aid-Mental-Health-Problems.aspx
October 22, 2022 at 2:47 pm
Hey Lexi!
I actually just wrote my blog post last week on taking walks! Walking has always been my go to when I feel anxious. Being able to go out and get fresh air and just set out away from everything always seems to give me some relief. I’m glad that you have a similar experience especially with the nice weather we’ve been having. If you ever wanna go for a walk somewhere let me know, I’m always down!
October 24, 2022 at 4:12 pm
Hi Lexi,
I loved that you talked about how something as simple as walking can be so beneficial to ones mental health, and reinforces healthy habits. Every week after my Link2Practice on Wednesdays I try to go for a walk when I get home. I find this to be very helpful because after a busy (and long) day at the school, I can go for a walk to relax and rejuvenate my body! It is also awesome that your school, home, and work are so close! It would probably take me about 40 minutes to walk to school:/ I did it a couple times last year, but I mostly stick to riding my bike!
Thank you for sharing!
October 31, 2022 at 11:36 am
I really appreciated reading this. I have been having a hard time with stress lately, so I think I will also try to implement more walks into my weekly routines. I have the privilege to be able to walk to school, which I have found has helped me learn and also decrease my anxiety.