The secret to instantly improving your mood has nothing to do with the hundreds of wellness/stress reducing/mood boosting trends going around and doesn’t cost a thing. It’s nothing new and it’s not really even a secret, but it can be life changing.
The “secret” is…🥁
Go for a walk…OUTSIDE….WITH NO DISTRACTIONS!!!
Seems pretty obvious, but how many people are consistently taking advantage of this super simple (and free) activity that has major benefits.
I woke up this morning in a decent mood, but it’s day 2 of my menstrual cycle so I knew at some point it was gonna go downhill so I decided to go for a walk while I was still feeling up to it. I only planned on walking about 30 minutes, but I was enjoying it so much I more than doubled the time. Some of my best ideas (and conversations with myself) come from silent walks. In fact, it was today while walking that I decided why not write about it.
Another “secret” or rather tip is not just walking outside with no distractions, but to actually take notice of your surroundings. The easiest way to do this is to ignite your five senses.
What do you hear?
What do you see?
What do you smell?
What do you feel?
What do you taste??
Recapping my walk
What did I hear?
I crossed the road and heard a little guy chirping at me so naturally I pulled up my Merlin Bird app and recorded. I identified him as a Canyon Towhee. Throughout the rest of my walk I identified 5 additional birds.
What did I see?
The Canyon Towhee I heard still sitting in the tree he was 20 minutes earlier, a determined little ant carrying something twice his size, the fish greeting me at a pond, hazy mountains, a smiley face, and a blooming ocotillo.
What did I smell?
I love when you can actually smell spring in the air. I don’t know what is currently blooming in Southern Arizona that smells delightful, but I have been admiring it on my recent walks.
What did I feel?
The perfect blend of warm sunlight and a light breeze on a beautiful 75 degree spring morning. Emotionally I was feeling content.
What did I taste?
Normally this one would be blank because I don’t know what I would taste on a walk unless I brought a snack or a beverage to-go, but today I accidentally swallowed a tiny bug so I guess that counts 🤷🏻♀️
So the next time you go for a walk outside with no distractions, activate your senses and report back with your findings.
-Leanna
DID YOU HEAR??
I made a magazine!
One morning, I randomly woke up with an idea. I’d been seeing several Substack notes from people wishing they could have their favorite Substacks in the form of a newspaper or magazine. So, I decided to make it happen.