Get outside....sometimes all it takes to shift perspective, lift spirits, relieve stress, and just feel better is a simple walk. I told my son who was leaving for business school this September, that he should walk every day. I told him it would help alleviate stress and clear his head especially since his program is very competitive and demanding. He rolled his eyes in that way kids do when their parents suggest something like that. A few weeks before he left, while he was wrapping up his virtual internship (thanks Covid-19), he actually started going for a walk. I asked him how it felt and he shrugged his shoulders, but for those two weeks, he walked every single day. Hey...mom knows a little bit about some things.
The simple act of walking improves fitness and cardiac health, improves mood, endurance, circulation, posture...the list goes on and on. Some of the most interesting research on the connection between health and nature has Japanese origins. Walking and spending time in forests, known as shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is a popular form of preventative health in Japan. Yoshifumi Miyazaki, from Chiba University, discovered that going for a 40-minute walk in a cedar forest lowers cortisol levels, blood pressure and supports the immune system.
Exercise of any kind signals the body to release endorphins, which improve mood, and trigger positive feelings in the body. A study at Stanford University found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60%. They referred to this as "divergent thinking" which they defined as the thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. How many times have you caught yourself daydreaming while walking, or thinking about random thoughts? I know a few years ago I used to walk to get my creative juices flowing. I would not listen to music. I kept my mind clear and let it go where it wished. Many of my best photo concepts were initiated this way.
We spend so much time indoors and especially now with so many people working virtually from home, we rarely leave our homes. Take my advice, get out there. It breaks up the monotony. It clears your head and who knows, you might actually be more productive afterwards.
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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