Release the screen, take a walk

I recall from my school days, sprinting down the corridor to get outside and play. My timing used to be terrible, I'd turn the corner and bump into a teacher. "Walk! Don't run!" they would bellow.

These days I follow their advice. Only due to recurring injuries from running and playing football. I go for a walk in the day whenever I can get the opportunity. Walking my young daughter to school. A lap around the local mere at lunchtime. If work is not too busy, I'll walk to do the school pickup as well.

Whilst walking is a great thing for my physical health, it's not my top reason for doing it ,or even the second. Firstly, I do it because I enjoy it, it creates a great feeling, it's pleasurable. Striding forward with space around me, taking in the world around me.

Secondly, I do it for my mind. It creates an opportunity for diffused thinking, releasing me from focussed thinking and work in front of a screen. I gain some perspective over my work.

I'm less IN the work but more thinking ON the work. Solutions to problems just pop into my head, through my head naturally playing thoughts. It's doing the work almost for free. Very little effort on my part.

It's not just me that I see doing this now, but friends and clients are taking up the lunchtime walk. I spotted a friend last week out with her walking buddy. They told me that they've made each other accountable for the walk by buddying up. Taking a break from the screen and endless Teams meetings.

Today I'm taking a walk around the mere with someone who's both a friend and a leader for a big company client. We did the same walk a couple of weeks ago and said that we must do it regularly. It enabled us to discuss thoughts and ideas in a free-flowing manner. No agenda, but excitedly knowing that we would both somehow benefit from the experience.

If you are not doing it already, how could you build in a walk into your daily routine? Where in your day could it slot in? Can you strategically place it into a time that would give you maximum benefit? Is there someone that you can buddy-up with to help you reinforce the ritual?