Keep this in mind for your next walk

To celebrate Parks Week we spoke to Catherine Morey-Nase, Mindfulness Expert and Psychologist from The Wellbeing Corner about mindful walks and walking in nature. Here is what she had to say…

How is a mindful walk different from a normal walk?

Mindful walking involves deliberately bringing awareness to where you are and what you are doing through the conscious engagement of your senses. For example, you might stop every now and then and spend a few moments really listening to the sounds that you can hear. Or you might take a few moments to stop and really look at the subtle details in your surroundings that you would normally miss. As you walk you might bring your attention into your body and notice the contact that your feet make with the earth as you walk and the sensation of air or sunlight against your face. Even brief moments of consciously engaging your senses in these ways helps you become more present.

So often we operate on 'automatic pilot’ when our body is doing one thing and our mind is somewhere else entirely. When we walk mindfully we become more aware of where we are and what we are doing which deepens the connection we feel to our surroundings as well as to ourselves. 

How can a mindful walk be beneficial to your mental health? 

When our mind is focused on the present, as opposed to wandering back into the past or into the future, our mind and body comes back into a state of balance through the activation of the relaxation response. As well as calming both mind and body, mindfulness increases our awareness of our internal state - of our thoughts, emotions as well as how we are feeling physically. With practice, this increased awareness gives us the opportunity to respond to what’s going on for us in more helpful ways as opposed to reacting out of habit in potentially unhelpful ways. Research also shows that spending time in nature is healing and restorative, something many of us already know instinctively.

Spending time in nature has been shown to increase wellbeing, help alleviate stress and anxiety, promote creativity, assist with recovery from mental fatigue, restore attention and boost our ability to think clearly. The benefits of spending time in nature are further enhanced if we do so mindfully!

Can mindful walks be done in a group? 

Yes absolutely! Mindful walking works really well in a group. Often, when we’re in the company of other people, we can feel pressured to fill in moments of silence with conversation. While conversation is a great way to connect with people, mindful walking gives us an opportunity to enjoy our surroundings and connect with people in a way that many people are unaccustomed to.

While it can feel a little uncomfortable at first, there is something really quite wonderful about the experience of shared silence. People are often very pleasantly surprised by this when taking part in a mindful walk. 

How can you maintain mindfulness throughout the walk?

It is really important to understand that being mindful does not mean ‘turning off' thoughts or 'emptying your mind'. It's not possible! Just as our eyes are always seeing and our ears are always hearing, our minds are always thinking. It’s inevitable that you'll become distracted during any kind of mindfulness practice, including a mindful walk. However, with practice thoughts and other distractions become less bothersome. Even intermittent moments of focus and engaging directly with where we are and what we are doing through our senses is beneficial.

The more you can accept that mindfulness is the process of being present, becoming distracted and becoming present again (as opposed to staying constantly focused) the more enjoyment and benefit you’ll get from a mindful walk.

Find out more about The Wellbeing Corner.