Take just 5-10 minutes today for a #mindful walk. It’s restorative to your brain, soothes and calms, and helps you to organize your thinking, shift your attention, and enjoy the present moment.
A randomized controlled study showed that participants between the ages of 18-65 who reported moderate to high levels of #stress experienced significant decrease in distress and increase in quality of life after 8 sessions of mindful walking (Teut et. al., 2013). Another study found that mindful walking led to increased #mindfulness and positive #mood, and that these two factors enhanced each other in an upward spiral effect (Gotink et al., 2016).
HERE'S HOW TO DO IT:
1. Choose a path to traverse in 10 minutes. 2. Start walking! As you walk, focus on your breath and pay special attention to your senses. Describe to yourself what you see, smell, hear around you. Focus on how your body feels as you walk. 3. If your mind wanders, gently guide it back to your senses. 4. As you finish, take a few more deep breaths and silently express #gratitude for this brief but rejuvenating time in your day.