Photo by Etienne Delorieux on Unsplash
Building a life that works for you, not only includes the broader strokes — where you live, where you work, your family unit — but the nuances that round out the entire picture. With all that is going on around us. we can easily neglect the part of our world, where we have a moment to reflect and process. In these times — even though we may be venturing out less, overload remains a real and present concern. This makes “process time” even more important.
I’m reminded of a fascinating post (more on the book Daily Rituals here) discussing how some of the most incredible individuals of the last 400 years spent their time. While their areas of expertise were varied and remarkable, there was one obvious link among many of them: From Milton to Tchaikovsky, many set aside time for a daily walk.
Some ventured alone. One with family.
Walks rock.
Here are a few of the benefits:
- Digestion. I’m not referring to gastronomy — I’m referring to the all of the information you’ve consumed over the course of the day. It’s difficult to process or notice patterns, when your brain isn’t allowed the time to do so.
- Fresh air. I love home my office, but a change of scenery does help me feel rested and refreshed. I may not have access to a beach or a handy mountain range to view, as some of my colleagues. But the breeze is just as refreshing here in the mid-west — and the birds just as vocal.
- Lowered anxiety. With our current lives, comes our unshakable friend — anxiety. Physical exercise has great way of managing this nagging by-product of uncertainty.
- Digital reprieve. Not sure how much time you must spend in front of a computer, but the changes in our work lives, have upped our screen time significantly. Balancing this is vital.
Commit just 15 minutes each day to get out and walk.
Observe the birds. Track the progress of the budding trees or your neighbor’s front garden. Feel the breeze.
You can also take a tip from Mozart and keep paper and pencil handy. You never know when inspiration will strike you.
Write me here and let me know what happens.
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Live.Work.Think.Play shares observations concerning a wide array of topics from founding a company — to the perfect office gift. It is designed to share lessons learned from a variety of perspectives.
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