Remember the PSA “This is your brain on drugs”? I’ll never forget it. Commercials seemed so much better when I was younger. There were great jingles that have stuck with me for decades and those Rainier Beer spots were so clever. I think we need a new PSA: “This is your brain on walking.”
Part of my wellness routine is a daily walk—alone or with others—rain or shine. It’s a habit that began in the mid-’80s when a knee injury ended my running habit. (Amen! Truth to be told, I did NOT enjoy anything about the running except the high I got when I stopped.)
That’s why my friend Amy Varga’s recent LinkedIn post “Sorry, I have a walk scheduled then” really resonated with me. I know that I’m more alert, focused and creative when I get my walk in, but it wasn’t until I talked with Amy about her post that I got to thinking about how helpful it could be to share the benefits of walking. Hoofing it is an especially valuable activity during the pandemic if you are able-bodied and have access to a safe space outside with good air quality.
Amy owns The Varga Group, a Portland-based firm that offers leadership coaching along with other important services for non-profit organizations. These days, she is primarily being asked for leadership coaching. Amy sees this as an opportunity to help leaders ask how they are taking care of themselves. “For nonprofit folks, depending on their mission, everyone feels like the stakes are high and there is so much stress,” she explained. “Psychological boundaries can be especially hard for them because oftentimes they are asking themselves how they can prioritize taking care of themselves over providing services to others.”
Amy suggests a different lens. So much leadership development focuses on the neck up, but our physical self has an impact on our ability to think and work. “We need to prioritize sleep, hydration, and physical exertion—they are as important as our other competencies. It’s crucial to recognize that, although we are all doing our best and working at our jobs and more, we are also doing this other body of work which is attending to the stress of the moment—and it’s no small task.”
We cannot serve others as well if we are exhausted, distracted or depressed. And in this time of confinement, we all need some kind of escape valve. Amy suggests carving out some time to reflect on what is and is not serving you and your wellness. Do more of the prior and give the latter the boot.
How are you taking care of yourself? Got time for a walk? it could benefit you in a multitude of ways and It doesn’t cost money, you don’t need any fancy clothes to do it, and if you’re keeping your distance from others you don’t even need a mask.
— Tammy Wilhoite
