Ditch Stress

Recently I was reading Oliver Burke’s fantastic newsletter: The Imperfectionist, where he was talking about the concept of MTO goalsetting. I love this concept, but what he said next really got my attention:

“Are all these strategies just ways of playing tricks on your mind? Sure… but isn’t that all that any effective productivity or creativity technique ever is?”

I had a bit of an ah-ha moment here: A lot of discipline/productivity comes from us tricking ourselves into doing the thing. Or to keep doing the thing when it gets hard.

I see myself doing this every time I run — especially on longer ones. If I have, say, a 15K on the plan, I try to trick myself into thinking it’s just three 5Ks. I also take little refueling breaks, and those act as checkpoints to get me through the run.

If you’ve been reading my newsletter for a while, you know I’m obsessed with walking. There are literally so many benefits, like lowering the risk of many health problems including heart disease, anxiety and depression, and diabetes.

Walking effectively reduces stress by lowering cortisol (the stress hormone) and increasing endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. It also improves blood circulation to the brain, positively influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body’s stress response.

Hence why I am on a 1640-day streak of walking 10,000 steps a day.

I love walking, but even I have to trick myself into walking some days. Generally I find once I’ve got my sneakers on and left the house, I tend to keep walking.

I’ve found that giving a walk a little mission or framework adds novelty and engagement — AKA makes it funner. (And yes, funner really is a word).

Here are some of the little tricks I use (and recommend!) to turn walks into something my brain actually wants to do — a little boost to get off the couch and start strolling.

1. The Micro-Joy Walk – Focus on little things that delight you, be it that funny shaped tree, the house that has chickens, weird murals. You get more of what you focus on, and looking for things that bring joy boosts your mood and makes walking more fun.
2. Surround Sound – These days, the default seems to be popping in your earbuds and listening to a podcast or playlist — but in doing so, you might miss the calming soundtrack of nature. Sounds like flowing water, rustling leaves, and birdsong have been shown to reduce stress hormones, slow your heart rate, and lift your mood. Want to level up? Go beyond bird songs and tune into the sounds around you. What are the sounds that make up your neighbourhood?
3. Counting Walk – My best friend likes to count all of the puppies she sees while walking, and it brings her so much joy. Pick something that’s plentiful in your area and count it as you walk along. You can total up dogs, tattoos, flowers or weird hats. Counting something besides steps is an easy way to be mindful of your surroundings.
4. Colour Cruising – Here we set out with the mission of focusing on one colour during your stroll. Kind of like I Spy. If you decide on the colour green, for instance, pay attention to all the green things that you see. This includes objects you might ordinarily pass over, such as a parking sign, or car hood. This allows us to look beyond context to find beautiful things.
5. Micro-Adventures – If you read books or blogs or even scroll the gram you might think you need a passport to have an adventure. But really, adventure is a mindset more than a destination. Try a new café, take a different route home, explore a hidden park. Adventure doesn’t have to be big to be exciting!
6. The Recon Mission – Think that reconnaissance is only for spies? No way! If you’re anything like me, you aren’t always ready to go all in. You need to scope things out in advance: That new neighbourhood you might move to, new school or workplace, a new restaurant you aren’t sure about making a – reservation for. I love to go ahead and have a little look-see before I commit. A nice recon walk nets you both exercise and a dossier of information.
7. Dog Walk – My dog is my walking coach and we are out there three times a day, hitting the pavement. If you can get or borrow a dog, they will teach you everything you need to know. My dog has a preternatural ability to be present during each walk, sniffing each leaf and blade of grass. She’s also an amazing accountability buddy, as I don’t get to miss a day!
8. Step Stacking – Of course if these don’t appeal, you can go for straight numbers, and have a daily total you want to hit. Or, if you love a shiny reward, check out step-counting challenges like The Conqueror or My Challenge Canada — they mail out actual fancy themed medals for racking up the miles over time.

And remember: You don’t have to walk 10,000 steps a day, even 4,000 steps a day can lead to noticeable improvements in health and well being.

You don’t need to go hard. You just need to go.

Find what motivates you. Make it fun. That’s the stuff that sticks.