Fill your walk with colour

Here at Living Streets we know the tremendous benefits walking has on positive mental health, this is something that is demonstrated in our projects such as Walking Connects, which tackles loneliness and feelings of isolation in adults over 50. 

Charli Brunning, our Walking Connects Project Coordinator told us "The benefits of walking truly are endless. Walking is not only great for our physical health, where we can see improvements in our bodies, our breathing and our ability to walk, but also for our mental and social health. People who have attended our Walking Connects walks across Lancashire have shown increased motivation and determination to get out and attend our walks, when once they may have chosen to stay inside. By walking in a group, you meet likeminded people and form a routine. Even saying something as simple as 'see you next time' remains in your mind and shares your commitment with others." Here she is surrounded by a riot of colour, after leading her Multicoloured Monday themed walk!

As someone who mainly works from home, I wanted to challenge myself to a short 20-minute walk that I could enjoy on my lunch break on Blue Monday. I often find walking ‘without a purpose’ a bit of a mental challenge, as I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder and can often get caught up in repetitive thought patterns when I don’t have something to focus my mind on.

So, I decided to set myself the challenge of trying to find as many colours in my local area as possible, within my short walk. For context, I went for this walk on a very grey and drizzly day in January and my local area is quite urban and as a result, also quite grey…at least I knew I had one colour sorted!

I normally don’t experience my local area in a way that I would romanticise. Local walks usually involve headphones, hands in pockets, looking at the pavement while dashing to the shops or post office. As I set off on my mission to find as many colours as I could, I deliberately left my headphones at home and tried to properly look at my surroundings, from the sky above me to the pavement below my feet.

With my phone in hand ready to snap the colours I stumbled upon; I was surprised how quickly I filled the palette from delicate candyfloss pink berries to explosions of crocheted colour on top a fire engine red post box. What surprised me even more was how much fun I was having, dashing from one colour to the next as I walked a well-trodden route, I had strolled many a lunch break. I was even joined by a local feline friend!

This walk not only brought me 20 minutes of fresh air, but it also focussed my busy mind and was a truly enjoyable way to spend a dreary grey day in January.

So, I challenge you to go out in your local area and try and fill your walk with colour. If you can’t find a local cat to join you why not take along a friend and see who can find the most colours?