It’s ok to “just” take a walk.

It’s ok to “just” take a walk.

This weekend I put on my shoes and my hat, got out my headphones.
Ready for some active exercise while listening to a podcast or calling a friend.

Somewhere between walking out the door and 10 minutes in, I realized
I was not exercising.
I was not listening to a podcast.
I was not working up a sweat.

I was strolling. 🐢

Just strolling through my neighborhood, taking in the sights and sounds. Letting my mind wander.

And I had a moment - of course I had a moment 😉 - where I thought
Oh $hit, I should be moving faster.
I should be exercising.
I should be working up a sweat.

And guess what? I didn’t do it. 😜
I didn’t speed up.
I didn’t work up a sweat.

I just… kept strolling.

And I had to laugh, because I realized I was doing the very thing I work on with clients all the time:
Getting stuck in the “shoulds.”

Yes, I want to move my body more.
Yes, I care about my health.

But in that moment, what I actually needed wasn’t a workout.
It was to be a person in the world.
Breathing. Meandering.
Listening to the city and the birds and my own thoughts.

I even had a few ideas worth jotting down - of course I did, once I stopped trying to be productive. 😅

So here’s my earth-shattering insight, folks 😉:
Not everything has to be for something.
Not everything needs a metric attached to it to be valuable.

Sometimes, a walk is just a walk.
And that’s enough.