
What comes to mind when you think of the British countryside? Rolling hills, trees, rain, mud? My answer is all of the above, with a bit more rain to be accurate!
How do you feel when you come back from a walk? Refreshed, energised? For me I feel a sense of calm, space and renewed perspective.
So when I heard that walking coaching was a thing I was excited to give it a go! A year later I have had a mixture of clients choose walking coaching.
One of my favourite sessions was on a wet, grey, winters morning in the centre of West Bromwich (probably as far removed from the British countryside you can get), meeting a client in her small office. Within minutes I could sense she needed space and I started to say ‘Do you want to go for a walk and do this session outside.....’ I didn’t finish the explanation I thought I might need, she jumped out of her seat saying ‘YES!!!!!’. As we got outside the rain appeared and I started to doubt myself; what did you suggest this for Jen, how is this going to work, its raining and cold!
Well the answer is it did! We strolled around the town centre, stopping off in a few bus shelters when the rain got a bit heavy, and worked productively through the session, with some great outcomes.
Being outdoors enables the client to use what they can see to help with their thinking. During a goal visualisation exercise a client used trees to visualise her two possible futures. Which tree she allocated to which future was relevant to her visualisation and how she described it. This was a really powerful exercise that strengthened her determination to work towards her desired future.
Getting out and about has become even more important since the Covid19 pandemic. Being on video calls all day at home is hard work and tiring. Any time we can spend outside is a good thing in 2020.
So lets talk science. We know there are physical health benefits from walking, and there is emerging evidence linking walking to better mental health, positively impacting on low levels of anxiety and depression. Our brain also functions better when moving, with improved performance in thinking, remembering and understanding.
So what better than getting some exercise, working on yourself, improving your mental health and brain functioning all at the same time?!
Not close by? Don’t worry I have a plan! Choose the outdoor space you want to be in, and I’ll choose mine. We can then talk via phone and still benefit from this approach!
If you want to experience walking coaching, then contact me for more details.