Day 15 - Walk with a Friend

This one is good for a few different reasons!

Easy version:

Go for a walk with a friend. Or a family member. Someone who makes you happy!

Less easy:

Make this a weekly habit! Perhaps go with a different friend each week. OR - as a handful of people have done at our local library - start a walking group! Meet once a week for a walk and social time. (Having heard this walking group’s social time from another part of the library, I can tell you that our local walking group laughs a lot together, and they are a joyful bunch just to be around!)

Why do this?

This combines two or three of the Joyful activities you’ve already added to your toolbox by now: 1. moving around physically, which helps get those stress hormones out of your system, 2. connecting with community, which is essential even for us introverts, and maybe even 3. connecting to nature, if your walk happens to be in a forest or park, or even a neighbourhood with gardens in the front yards. Plus, it’s FREE!

My personal choice:

My husband Norman and I started walking together during the pandemic lockdowns. We don’t do it every day, and especially not in the summer when we get busier with other things, but we’ve been trying to make an effort to get out there every day this winter. Whenever we go to visit my sister and her family, I love doing a group walk down to the water (they live near the St. Lawrence) - it’s always beautiful. It’s also one of my favourite things to do when I’m back in Toronto for a couple of days; it’s such a great way to visit with friends I haven’t seen in months or maybe even years. This prompt is a reminder to me that I should also reach out to some friends who live nearby, and see who’s up for joining me in a walk some day soon!

Who will you walk with? Where will you go? Enjoy it!