Is it really the end of January? I think I spent most of the month sick, or I was in isolation because Love-One was sick. First it was the flu. Then the Norovirus got me. Luckily, Loved-One escaped the Norovirus. I step for 38 hours, only stopping to…well, you know…what Norovirus forces a body to stop for.
Oh my, the recovery time seemed so long. A few days seemed to last for weeks. But now, I’m back to my normal self, minus a couple of pounds.
For my second Fredagsmy, i.e. my cozy Friday post, I’m again sharing from my Good News site. Click here for some Nice News.
Apparently, Color Walks are a thing.
I didn’t pick up on the social media trend. Did you?
“Color walks” involve picking a color and looking for items in that hue while you stroll. The concept was originally created by writer William S. Burroughs over five decades ago. It’s a way of introducing mindfulness into a walk. Color walks may help soothe anxiety and boost mental health even more than regular walking.
So before heading out for a walk in a very balmy 50-degree January afternoon, I picked a color. Blue. I really didn’t expect to see much blue on my walk. The sky was grey, the trees were brown. The grass was brown. Even the houses are earthtones; an association requirement. I thought maybe I’d see some green. There are a couple of red mailboxes in the neighborhood. But blue? I’d have to work for that color.
What a surprise. Joy! A tiny bit of blue sky. A scrap of a blue bag in the woods. A blue reflector. A little blue library. A blue gazebo. And, a man almost entirely dressed in blue. That’s Loved-One!
“So we know that just walking has a ton of physical health benefits,” clinical and family psychologist Jen Hartstein told Today. She explained: “Add a meditative piece, so the idea of choosing a color that you notice out in nature, and that just adds another layer of building mental health and fitness.”
The physical aspect of the exercise melds with mindfulness.
For a moment or two, I forgot to focus. I’m sure I missed a little blue. Then Loved-One pointed out the blue in the American flag. Oh dear, should I retrace my steps and see what I missed? No, Color Walks should help reduce stress and increase memory capacity. They’re not meant to add another task and increase my stress level.
I did enjoy my Color Walk. The focus did keep my mind from ruminating. I liked picking a color that I thought would be difficult to find and being surprised by the abundance.