My Dog Took Me on a Walk: What I Learned

 

Mochi striking a pose next to her discovery. 

I was feeling a bit dazed today after my afternoon nap and bi-hourly TikTok scroll, although I feel I deserved the break since I worked 6-11 AM this morning. That sinking feeling began in my chest that I had wasted my day due to my constant losing battle to leisure. Lately, though, I have been trying to do something called "adulting," so I was determined to recover the remainder of my day. 

As cliché as it may sound, the number one thing that gets my day (or afternoon... sometimes even my evening) started right is going on a walk and experiencing nature. One of my most problematic traits is a constant lack of motivation, so getting on my feet and out the door is usually the most challenging part of this activity. However, I don't go on walks alone; Mochi, my three-year-old labrador, accompanies me. If I don't find the motivation to get up, she'll find it for me once I've said the W-A-L-K word.

Today I wanted to try something new when immersing myself in the world of nature. Instead of leading my walk and going where I wanted, I let Mochi pick our path. I feel like sometimes I can be so caught up in the moment of what I think I want, but by looking at the world from another's perspective, we can learn something we would never have discovered before. Today Mochi taught me to slow down and take a path that I might usually not. While walking around my apartment complex, we came across sidewalk chalk art done by children that said, "You are beautiful." It made me smile, and I was so glad to share that moment with her. It felt like she took me there for a reason.

To be completely honest, these moments are not frequent for me. As a full-time college student who also has to work to pay my bills, I don't always feel I have time to stop and appreciate these types of moments in my life. But it makes the moments that I feel capable of cherishing that much more important. When you're a chronic procrastinator such as myself, your life feels like you're constantly playing a game of "catch-up." This is where spending time with nature became a huge game-changer for me. While I wouldn't call myself an athletic person, I enjoy walking outside. After taking my dog on long walks, I began to notice that I would be in a much better mood than when I left the house and felt clear-headed and ready to start my day. The feeling I would get from spending time outside was almost like a relief compared to being stuck in the stuffy indoors. I set up a comfortable space on my patio and began spending more time just sitting outside. For some reason, it was easier for me to focus and do schoolwork when I was out facing the trees than inside sitting at my desk or breakfast bar.

The American Psychological Association says in an article, "exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders." After reading this, I began thinking about how much time I spent playing outside as a kid compared to now. In elementary school, recess is a required part of a child's day, humans need time to take a break and let loose, and children can't regulate themselves, so the time is allotted for them through recess and after-school fun. But what happens when we have still never developed those tools on self-regulation as an adult? When we become over-stressed and overworked, how do we hit reset? There is no recess or mandatory break for the average American citizen. 

In these moments of feeling overwhelmed, it's always easy for me to spiral into feeling like my life is an uncontrollable mess. I am still learning to advocate for myself and my own mental well-being, but it is the first of many steps to getting back on track. Something as simple as going on a walk through the neighborhood with my dog can remind me that I am in control of the body I wake up in every day. It reminds me there is much more to the world I live in than what is going on behind my phone or computer screens. Even when I am having a rough mental health day, it can be refreshing to zone out and experience life through the animals and different elements of the world around me interacting. It reminds me that there is a lot more to the world's existence than the battles going on inside my head.

I would love to hear anyone else's thoughts on how they like to spend time in nature or any other tips for trying to recover a day you feel you've wasted! This is a safe space for all, it is okay to not be okay! 

Cat

Berman, M. G., Kross, E., Krpan, K. M., Askren, M. K., Burson, A., Deldin, P. J., Kaplan, S., Sherdell, L., Gotlib, I. H., & Jonides, J. (2012, November). Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression. Journal of affective disorders. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3393816/

Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature