Here is something to do today, go for a mindful walk by yourself. Let’s keep it simple. Schedule 15mins in your day and stick to it, rain or shine. Put some comfy shoes on and dress for the weather. Choose somewhere close by and easy to get to. A park, a reserve, a track by the river, an orchard, a garden, any space that has some grass, trees, flowers, plants, birds, or maybe water. Begin to walk, just slowly…
Slow Down Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your breathing to start with. Feel the fresh outside air wake you up.
Notice Be aware of your feet in your shoes, wiggle your toes. Feel the weight of your body keeping you grounded. Swing your arms, bend your knees. Notice your mood. What are your thoughts, how do you feel?
See Look around you as you walk. Look up, look down. Notice the colours around you, the different shades of green, the colour of the sky. Notice movement, the clouds, the leaves, birds. Look at detail, the veins on a single leaf, the bug moving in the garden.
Listen Listen to sounds close by, in the distant, quiet or loud. Separate sounds of nature and man made sounds. Focus on one, then the other.
Smell Notice what the air smells like, then find something to smell close up, a flower, a leaf. Close your eyes and focus on your sense on smell only.
Touch Try walking barefoot. Pick up a stone, a feather or a leaf and touch your cheek, rub it on your forearm. Can you feel the wind, or the rain.
Feel Return to how you are feeling, and see if your mood has changed from when you began. Notice any feelings in any parts of the body that are different. Check in with your breathing and feel air going in and out of your nose.
Think You may not have any thoughts while you are walking as you focus on your senses and the nature around you. Notice if you do have thoughts, are they positive, or not. Are they about the past or the future. Are they old thoughts or new ones.
After you have finished your walk, reflect on how being more mindful of your surroundings and on yourself, made you feel. See if your mood is any different from when you began your walk. Try this again another day, but in a different place and see how you feel.
