Pre-pandemic, I commuted via a bus. There was daily walking to and from the bus stop. A minimum of 1.5 miles a day. However, with work from home my “commute” is no more than 30 steps. And that difference holds true for all the little activities throughout the day. No longer the couple minutes to the cafeteria which included a flight of stairs. Getting to a meeting room? Now just a click of a button. Even the distance to the bathroom is much shorter. All of that adds up.
I didn’t notice for a while, but this significantly affected my well-being. I felt lethargic. There were times I had difficulty falling asleep.
The Benefits of Walking
That’s when I realized the importance of walking. A simple activity with two positive aspects. First, walking is a form of movement and excercise which improves our physical well-being. Second, it’s an opportunity to be present in your surroundings which benefits our mental well-being. Notice the beauty of a tree 🌳. See a rabbit hop across the grass 🐇. Listen to the gentle splashes of the water 🌊. A big reason I had trouble sleeping is because I hadn’t cleared my head space.
We often fall into the fallacy that the most important things require a lot of effort. The practice of walking is the perfect counter-example. Reincorporating my daily habit of a walk 🚶 made a huge difference!