Taking a brief 10-minute break in the middle of the day to enjoy a walk can significantly reduce symptoms of Anxiety and ADHD. Consider turning off your phone, or even better, leave it at home!
Take a moment to Breath
Breath in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts.
A deep, slow sigh can significantly alleviate anxiety by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages relaxation and counteracts the “fight or flight” response. This method aids in lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, resulting in a feeling of calm and overall well-being.
Be Mindful
Here is a quick exercise to help you get out of your head and into your body
Simply Notice:
5 things you see
4 things you hear
3 things you feel
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
Find a spot you can visit a few times a week. It doesn’t have to be beautiful or perfect, even just a patch of grass on the side of the road. Visit this spot and get curious about the changes that happen over the season, the year. Notice the lifecycles and changes that occur.
Connect to self
Walk into nature with no set destination in mind, go on a wander with curiosity and openness. Preferably in a quiet nearby nature setting. Give yourself some time to just follow your own inner compass and go where you are feeling drawn to go. Along the way, hold the question “what is resilience” and pay attention to what answers you get. Take yourself on a feeling adventure and see what you find in nature that reminds you of various emotions/states, such as: joyful, anxious, angry, sad, loved, comfort, fearful, etc.
Connect to others
Pay attention to how your feeing within your body, then observe the distance between you and others on the trail. Are you sensing a connection or a barrier with those around you? Are you shutting yourself off or avoiding eye contact? Allow whatever is there to show up, no judgment. Now, get playful with how you can change/shift this experience. Consider making eye contact and greeting someone, walking briskly past with a nod but not breaking your stride. Occupy more space on the trail, or stepping aside. Just notice different states of connection and disconnection with others.
Take an “Awe Walk”
Slow down and notice the wonder around you—sunlight through leaves, the shape of a tree, the vastness of the sky. Let yourself feel small in a good way. Awe can calm the nervous system and remind you you’re part of something greater.
Give yourself a break
At the start of your walk. Sit and take a moment to do an inventory of all the things that are stressing you at at the moment. With each item, put the down on the ground, under a tree (it’s best to actually ‘place’ the concern into a rock and put it down- it sounds weird but it works!) Go for a walk thru nature, knowing you have carefully and respectfully put down your worries for the time being. You will come and pick them up later, they are perfectly safe where you placed them!
