Here’s a photo I took this morning while I was on a short stroll around the farm where Incendo is based. The other day I posted a similar picture on LinkedIn while I was on an early morning walk near the office and underneath it I used the hashtag #wellbeingwalk.
Somebody commented on it: “Dude, you can’t just take a random picture of the outdoors and call it a wellbeing walk. What makes a walk a wellbeing walk, anyway?”
That’s a good point. Everyone’s different, so I doubt there’s a catch-all definition; all I can say is that – for me – a wellbeing walk typically involves some of the following:
- short term physical/mental response to the action of walking (‘happiness’ chemicals, cardiovascular health);
- medium to longer term strength and mobility gained by walking regularly;
- opportunity to practise a mindfulness technique or two;
- as I live and work in a rural location, it’s also a chance to be in the natural world (our relationship with nature – how much we notice, think about and appreciate our natural surroundings – is a critical factor in supporting good mental health);
- digital detox for a while, other than the days when I take a photo on my phone;
- time with my dog; assorted pieces of research have shown that pets have many wellbeing benefits;
- moments of interaction with others out and about, during what can often be a solitary working day;
- sometimes it’s a gap in the day when I make time to listen to one of the wellness podcasts I follow.
There you go! That’s just my own list; I know it won’t cover all the possible wellbeing aspects of going for a walk outside – what are the features of a wellbeing walk for you?
