Walking Saves Lives
Walking? Really?
Walking saves lives. Now I understand that’s a bold statement, but I stand by it. Walking is a mental super power that is able to turn your life around. It did for me, it has done for those in the past and it’s still doing so for many of us right now.
Now there are many scientific articles written about why walking is good for you and I’m not going to be the one to recite them here on my blog. I want to share my own experiences with walking, nature and how it has saved me from going insane.
Nature is key
I live in a town adjacent to a forest. This means that I have the luxury to not just go for walks, but to go for walks in nature. I am fully aware of the fact that this is a luxury, as city people are most likely unable to do this on a daily basis like I can. Although walking in nature will do you more good than walking in a city, I still believe that going for walks in and of itself is a cure for many mental struggles.I always loved to go for walks, even as a little kid. I’m not an outgoing person and like to stay indoors, but when it comes to going for walks, I’ve always liked doing so. I especially like going on walks alone. Brand me a loner and you wouldn’t be wrong, but still, I think everyone should enjoy going on walks alone.
Don't walk the WRONG way
For one, walking helps me process everything that’s going on in my life. It helps me understand my current problems, the things that are going well and also helps me in planning my future endeavors. Yes, all by walking. Now if I was blasting loud music in my ears while checking my phone every couple of minutes then no, I probably wouldn’t achieve this same effect. But that’s just it, going for a walk should be done without having to constantly think about other people. Because you might not realize it, but you don’t constantly check your phone for yourself. You check you phone for other people. And blasting music while going for a walk basically kills any thoughts, whether positive or not, from entering your mind. Which in return stops you from thinking about the important things in your life.Think about life
You might not like to hear this, but thinking about your life a couple of times a week for an hour or so isn’t a bad thing. Jordan Peterson once said and I quote: “If you sit on your bed and you ask yourself ‘What’s one thing I’m doing wrong that I know I’m doing wrong?’, that you could fix, that you would fix. You meditate on that, you’ll get an answer. It won’t be the one you want. But it’ll be the truth. And it’ll instantly know it. And then you can go fix that. And maybe it’ll fix a piece of your life.” Now whether your a fan of Dr. Peterson or not doesn’t really matter, as this quote hits hard and is the truth, whether you like it or not.
Meditation
Many buddhist monks meditate while walking, did you know that? Heck, I meditate while walking too! I greatly prefer meditating while walking over sitting while meditating (although I do that as well). Now I’m not asking you to meditate, but going on walks without any distractions will cause you to get into a certain meditative state, which in turn will cause you to reflect on the things that are important to you. This could be a relationship that isn’t going as well as you had hoped, a job that is slowly burning you out, money problems or just a dissatisfaction in life itself. No matter what it is, by going on a walk you’ll figure it out a lot faster than any journaling technique some guru online will teach you.Conclusion
Walking has taught me more about life over the years than any book, lecture, mentor or teacher. In the end, all you can do is live your own life in your own special way. By constantly receiving input, even if it’s meant to improve yourself, without ever doing any self reflection, will never truly help you. You need to figure out what is important to you, what isn’t, what it is you’d like to achieve and what you can find peace in. Another person, no matter how kind and helpful, will never be able to teach you this. And guess what? Going for an hourly walk almost every day will, in fact, help you figure all of that stuff out.If you like my blog and want to read more in the future, then click here to go to the [Blog] section of my website. Once there please bookmark it and come back every weekend for a new post of mine. If you'd like my posts in video-format instead then please go to my YouTube channel and subscribe there. Make sure to click on the little bell icon when subscribing though, because you won't get notifications otherwise.
Have a great rest of your day!