It is very normal these days to reach for the phone when you are sad, angry or bored but it never used to be. It used to be that people went out and walked it off and here is why
You Get Distracted
Walking will distract from the anger, anxiety, confusion, sadness and boredom. A simple stroll around the neighbourhood can ease your mind immediately because you will have your attention on the road, the people you are walking by and the noises around you.
The distraction of minding your way and being careful how you cross or where to go next is very distracting and before you know it you will be calmer and less inclined to reach for the phone. This means you will need to take off your headphones and be spatially aware.
You Clear Things Up
The knot-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach forming and those confusing words rattling around in your head can be cleared by a good brisk walk, instead of sitting and ranting online and posting things you will probably regret if your mind was clear.
Put the phone down and march out to the corner of the road at a fast pace while breathing in and out can help clear your head with each exhale. When things become clear you can acknowledge what is real and what is not and put things into perspective.
You Return Soothed
Some places are just naturally soothing and if you live near such a place you are very lucky. Walking by a stream, lake or river and believe it or not even just watching a sprinkler can have a positive impact on you. Standing by the water or watching the gentle trickle of water can if you are irritable, be very soothing.
If there is no water, there is distance and open road. If you can walk on the longest road near you and focus on the horizon before you. That endless stretch will give you the feeling or the effect of the best is yet to come, somewhere over there in the far horizon.
If you cannot get out into the open, walk into another empty room, close the door and curse, stamp your feet and shake your fist at the air. You do not need to hide your anger or feel ashamed of it but, you do not need to share all online either. Well, not all the time. Put the phone down and walk away from it. And wherever you decide to walk to, remember, this too will pass.
