How is your week going so far?
If things have been less than brilliant, don’t worry – that’s what this email is for!
Each week I try to bring you a simple thing you can do to try and bring some mental sunshine into your life.
This week’s suggestion is to aim for 10,000 steps per day.
These days lots of people have smart-watches that can count steps, but you can also get apps for mobile phones that will count your steps too.
The thing about aiming for 10,000 steps is that even if you fail, at least you’ve tried – and probably managed to take more steps than you would usually.
Some smart-watches have a setting where it will buzz to remind you to move if you’ve not taken 250 steps each hour.
This is a great way to make sure you get your steps in – but also to make sure you’re active throughout the day.
Taking 10,000 steps per day is one of those things that helps with our physical health but also our mental health.
Taking more steps each day can help to strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system as well as helping to stabilise your blood sugar and even improve cognitive function.
All of those things are nice, but getting out and walking more can really help us to just feel a bit better about life.
If you have a park nearby or some other green space, walking there can be a really lovely way to decompress after a long day or during a lunch break.
Even just pounding the pavements can have its benefits though.
Did you know that if you’re feeling anxious going for a walk can help to calm your thoughts – because your thoughts naturally slow down to the pace of your steps.
Aim for 10,000 steps..
As with everything suggested in these emails, this is not set in stone; you don’t need to hit 10,000 steps every day in order to consider this a success.
Success is actually more about being on the journey towards your goal
If you usually only manage 2000 steps per day then just nudging that up to 3000 can have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.
Why not go for a walk later today, and bring your camera along with you?
I often find that keeping my eyes peeled for something that would make a good photo helps me to stay present and in the moment.
And I love to share my photos in our A photo a day for wellness group on Facebook
I’d love to see what you’ve captured on your walks too!
