In August, we have been looking at ways Do Tell fans can use simple and fun techniques to change their habits. The point of this exercise is to find some fun in your world.
Do Tell Author Kathy Jacobson says, “It’s great to have routines, but they keep us from seeing other options. They keep us from experiencing things in a new light.”
As August and summertime wind down it is a natural time to get ready to change your ways. Why not try a “Strange Walk” (If you don’t want to be “strange” you can call it a bizarre, funny, surprising, extraordinary peculiar or non-normal walk – just pick the thesaurus word of your choice that makes you feel good.)
Here’s how it goes: First, pick a path, maybe one you’ve never walked before, maybe one you walk every day. Go for a stroll. If you normally turn left when you go out of your house, turn right. If you normally walk on one side of the street, try strolling down the other. Then try adding something a little bit unusual while you are walking down the street. Here are some ideas:
- Take a few steps like a chicken.
- Strike up a conversation with a stranger.
- Skip.
- Hum a tune.
- Whistle.
- Look a person in the eye and smile.
- Try calling for a dog – even if you don’t have one.
- Make it a nature walk and pick up a nice leaf, rock or stick to take home.
- Slow your pace or speed it up
- Look up at the sky
Let go and let yourself feel a little different. Don’t worry if people are looking. The point is to find yourself connected to the world in a new way. Notice how you feel. Pay attention to your body and how it responds. Even laugh at yourself.
Walking is good for you anyway. Just 30 minutes a day of walking can help stave off depression, help you sleep better and provide a whole array of other benefits for your body. But if you don’t have 30 minutes, try giving yourself what you do have. Don’t beat yourself up. Just do what you can – 5 minutes, 10 minutes. Start where you are and work up from there.
A “Strange Walk” can give you a new hope and a new perspective. It might sound too simple, but letting go, just for a few minutes and just paying attention to your walk instead of your worries can make a big difference. It literally can change your neural patterns. So, those thoughts that were getting you down are not as prominent any more.
Don’t end up being stuck in your ways. Routines can help keep us sane, but sometimes a change can give us that new perspective we need.
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