Whenever I feel I am losing my calm, hitting a mental block in creativity or needing some clarity of thought I go for a quick walk. I love long walks but sometimes just stepping away from the desk and outside for 5-10 minutes is all that is needed.
As walking is a gentle exercise it gives us the chance to release pent up mental stress without over-stressing the body in doing so. Walking beyond the confines of our workspace also changes our environment and therefore also our perspective. The act of walking helps to regulate our breathing and physiological state and that, in turn, improves our psychological state.
The change of environment also produces new stimuli that promote creativity. As we allow our minds to wander our subconscious can get to work on whatever problem we are facing. This allows for the ‘eureka’ moments that come when we are in a more relaxed and mentally passive state.
As Sasha Doyle pointed out, the question that we all need to focus on is ‘What’s the most important thing I need to do today?” The challenge is, when we are drowning under a deluge of competing demands, it is hard to gain the clarity needed to properly answer that question.
Just a short walk can create some distance from the demands to allow clarity of thought. With this cognitive as well as physical distancing one can properly assess priorities and make sure the most important thing is truly the most important (not just someone else’s most important thing).
So, no matter where you are. At home or the office, the city or in the country, go for a short walk to re-set, re-energise and re-ignite.
The Right Questions is for people who want to lead better and make better decisions. We are all leaders as we all have influence, no matter how much or how little. So, how are you maximising your influence?
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