Walking: The Ultimate Self-Care for Busy Seasons
As the saying goes: “Being an adult is saying, ‘after this week, things will slow down,’” until you die.
Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I say things like, “This is such a busy time of year.” Let’s face it: every time is a busy time of year. There’s always something to make our lives chaos. For those of us with kids, either we’re taking our kids to practices and games…or it’s back-to-school time…or it’s the end of the school year…or it’s summer break. But, for many of us, the holiday season is when everything is kicked up a notch…or five. Parents have kids’ sports and end-of-year projects and activities. There are parties to attend (and plan), family gatherings to coordinate, holiday travel to arrange, decorations to put up (and take down), treats to bake, and a whole lot of gifts to plan and buy and wrap.
During this time of year, I tend to feel tired and frazzled and overwhelmed on a daily basis. But I also know that taking care of myself during this hectic time of year doesn’t have to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. In fact, one of my favorite forms of self-care is super-simple: just lacing up my walking shoes and heading out for a walk!
Here’s why walking is the ultimate self-care for busy seasons like this one:
1) It’s Quick, Easy, and Free!
You don’t need to pay for a gym membership. You don’t have to schedule an appointment six weeks in advance. You don’t have to pay for the privilege. All you need is a good pair of shoes and the right clothes for the weather (here are some of my cold weather recommendations: https://willwalkforcoffee.com/2024/10/15/cold-weather-gear-for-walkers/), and you’re ready to walk right out the door!
Best of all: you can fit a walk in between all of those scheduled moments in your day: the school drop-off line, the lunch appointment, the afternoon meeting, the holiday party… Just a few minutes will do a whole lot of good!
2) It Clears the Mental Clutter
Especially during this busy time of year, your brain is probably full of all kinds of clutter: to-do lists, shopping lists, concerts, parties, ideas, and more. It can get so busy in there that it’s hard to keep everything straight—and you might end up forgetting the important stuff. But there’s just something about a walk that clears up the clutter. It helps you untangle that Christmas-lights-string of chaotic thoughts and even work through issues that seemed impossible before.
On hectic days like these, I recommend having a voice recording app handy—so you can record your ideas and solutions while you walk and play them back later.
3) It Gives You a Quick Mood Reset
If you’re feeling stressed-out and overwhelmed, a quick walk (especially outside) can help you relax! Science shows that a little bit of movement can help you replace all of those stress hormones with happy endorphins. And let’s face it: just the change of scenery alone can help.
If you need an extra boost, grab a jacket and head outside. Sure, it may be cold where you are right now, but the fresh air will do wonders for your mood.
4) Building Boundaries
Self-help gurus will tell you that setting healthy boundaries are important for your mental health—and stepping away to go for a walk helps you build boundaries by putting a little bit of distance between you and the craziness of your day. Once you walk out the door, this time is for you. No one can walk into the room, disrupt what you were doing, and add a few more tasks to your to-do list. It’s just you, your favorite playlist, a fun podcast, an interesting audiobook, or even just some peace and quiet.
I know it’s tempting to walk with your phone in hand, catching up on emails or texts as you walk. But you’ll feel a whole lot better if you leave the phone in your pocket.
5) Small Effort, Big Impact
It’s easy to discount walking as a form of self-care—or a form of exercise—because it’s just too easy. It’s easy to think that exercise needs to be hard to be effective—and self-care needs to be elaborate to work. But don’t believe it! Walking is effective because it’s simple. With this form of self-care, you don’t need to put extra strain on your budget or your busy schedule. It requires minimal gear (or none at all if you’re just walking around the house) and just a few minutes of your time—and that small effort can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health.
6) Self-Care Multitasking
It’s so easy to double-up the self-care benefits of walking by adding more of your favorite things to your daily walk. Need to vent to a friend or your work bestie? Take a few minutes to walk together—or even vent over the phone while walking. Love to read? Download the audio edition of a good book and listen while you walk. Does a cup of coffee bring you unspeakable joy? Bring your favorite coffee cup on your walk! It’ll make your self-care walk even more effective!
Want to make walking a regular part of your self-care routine? Here are some quick tips for making it a habit:
– Start small: just a few minutes during the day helps!
– Schedule it: make it like any other appointment, and block the time off your schedule.
– Know where to go: plan a handful of regular routes, so you don’t have to think about where to go
Self-care doesn’t have to be big or elaborate; it can be as simple as lacing up your favorite walking shoes and opening the door. Especially during busy seasons like this one, it’s important to be kind to your body and your mind—and just a short walk every day can make a big difference!
Want more suggestions for simple ways to take care of yourself during this busy time of year? Watch for my self-care reviews, starting this Thursday!
