May marks National Walking Month and I truly believe walking is waaaay underrated in life.

It’s something most of us do; something that’s marked as a magical milestone when as a baby we take those first steps, and our parents watch us with such pride.

Then after these younger childhood years it’s as easy as breathing; it’s something we do without consciously thinking about.

Yet we’re all guilty of not seeing the true benefits of walking.

I say this as walking goes hand in hand (or foot in foot), with managing your mental health – trust me.

Feel overwhelmed? Go for a walk

Feel stressed? Go for a walk

Feel angry? Go for a walk

Need to take a break? Go for a walk

Need to clear your head? Go for a walk

Need a pick me up or a mood booster? Go for a walk

All different questions yet they all have the SAME answer.

Walking helps recenter your focus, lift unnecessarily weight off your shoulders and adds a sense of calm to your day and more importantly your mood.

I find the days where things are just TOO MUCH for me, and when I’m struggling that going for a walk really helps.

Whether that’s going for a walk with my boyfriend discussing how our day has been, or going solo with my headphones in, or as I say: “blaring out my music whilst I’m blurring out my world” – truly, truly helps me!

It brings a sense of calm as I observe what’s around me, including sight, smell and sound. Recording what you can see, hear and smell is a technique for those that suffer with anxiety to calm them and bring them back down to a level where they can refocus and recenter.

Why not give it a try some day? You have nothing to lose and you walk every day (or at least most days) without giving it a second thought. Give it a second thought today and ask yourself: will a walk benefit me, will it improve my mood today and how will I feel AFTER going?

Of course the answers to those questions are all positive. And yes, you can thank not me but yourself later for persevering and going for that feel-good walk, even if you didn’t want to in the first place.

It works like an absolute charm for me 99% of the time, totally lifting my mood and I really hope it helps you too!