Taking a walk gets you moving. It can help to change the scene and offers the opportunity to gain new perspective on any situation you may be dealing with.
When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, those hormones that create a natural high. Walking can put you into the meditative state in which creativity flows.
Taking a walk is not taking a hike. A walk can be very, very brief. Just taking a walk around the hallways in your office building or around the block can make a difference.
Here are three ways that taking a walk can help you improve productivity, manage stress and enhance creativity:
1. Take a walk during your lunch break. Leave the building and walk around outside. Breathe the fresh air. Be on the lookout for an unexpected treat – the beauty of bright clouds blowing across a blue sky, the gift of birdsong, a bright flower growing in among the grass. You’ll come back to work refreshed and you’ll work more effectively.
2. Take a walk when you’re under stress. If there is something upsetting you, walking around for a few minutes can help you calm down and gain a different perspective on the challenge you face. You’ll be better able to deal with the situation when you return.
3. Take a walk to inspire creativity. As you walk along, be open to insights that come to you. Walking is actually a type of meditation that can help your creativity to flow. Many of these newsletters have come to me while taking a walk along the Schuylkill River in nearby Valley Forge Park. As I walk along, my mind as my arms and legs moving in rhythm, the ideas and the words to express them just flow.
When you take a walk regularly, you create a habit that can benefit you physically, mentally and emotionally for the rest of your life!
Qatana Samanen, Ph.D.
Qatana’s professional development began with graduate school at the University of Oregon. Her first post-doctoral position was at the Boston University School of Medicine where, as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology), where she specialized in stress management and behavioral medicine. Qatana has had over 30 years of experience as a life coach and psychologist and derives great pleasure from helping clients transform their lives for the better.