60 Before 60 Project: #43 - Go For an "Awe"-Some Walk
I’m a pretty avid walker and try and get out at least 3 or 4 times a week. I have noticed however that I tend to go the same every time I walk. I’m not sure if it’s because I know exactly how long my walk will take or I’m familiar with the route, but I also find that because of this I can just move into ‘auto-pilot’ when I’m walking.
Recently, I visited my son and fiancée and they took me out on a new hiking trail. It involved some steep hills, some lush greenery and culminated at a quiet, secluded and beautiful lake. It was like we were rewarded for a job well done.
As I looked around me, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty surrounding me. I could even say it was “awe” inspiring.
In one of my previous 60 Before 60 experiences when I took the time to watch the sunset, I shared how these “awe” inspiring moments are good for our mental health.
What is also interesting is that it has now also been discovered that walking in new and different places can also inspire this “awe” as the novelty these new views offer often helps to cultivate this type of response.
In an article published in the New York Times, they highlighted some research about people who went on these “awe walks” versus those that took a regular walk. Here is what they shared;
“Not surprisingly, they found that the awe walkers seemed to have become adept at discovering and amplifying awe. One volunteer reported focusing now on “the beautiful fall colors and the absence of them among the evergreen forest.” A control walker, in contrast, said she spent much of a recent walk fretting about an upcoming vacation and “all the things I had to do before we leave.”.
The researchers also found small but significant differences in the groups’ sense of well-being. Over all, the awe walkers felt happier, less upset and more socially connected than the men and women in the control group.”.
What was also quite fascinating is that through this study, they also asked people to take selfies during their walks. What they noticed was that over time, the “awe-walking” group’s selfie images of themselves grew smaller as the landscape around them grew bigger.
They did stress that this study was subjective given the emotional context, but it does give us something to consider.
So, it seems like I should try and break up my walking routes a bit and look for a few alternative routes that may inspire me with the benefit of taking an “awe"-some walk.
