Workday Walking: Boosting brainpower and mental stamina.

Although I travel often for work, I spend the majority of my time at a desk. 

Just like everyone else, I hunch over a screen until my neck hurts. 

Over the course of time, I have implemented a variety of ways to build up my mental stamina while working at the computer. Everyone has different tricks, however, I have found that changing things up throughout the day works well for me. 

What do I mean by changing things up? I use my standing desk, I take a break and use my massage gun, I stretch, I move to a new room, put some music on, or have a quick conversation with a coworker. All of this tends to help, but I can certainly say that nothing has helped me maintain mental stamina (avoid burnout) and feel happier than getting outside during the day. 

I understand that most of us don’t have the luxury of having tall trees, shade, or lake views right outside our office, but getting outside has numerous positives. 

As long as my schedule permits it, I step outside twice per day (not including lunch) and go for a walk. I tend to do this at 10 AM and again at 3 PM. Implementing this routine into my day not only breaks up my workload, but it helps me reset each time I switch to a new project. At the same time, I get a brief relief from my desk, fresh air, some sunlight, and the hope of hitting my step count for the day. 

When I return back to my office, I am better prepared to take on the next challenge of the day. 

As easy as it sounds, adding a walking routine to your schedule will make you happier and more productive. 

What are the benefits?

Look, going on a walk requires little to no effort. Because of this, people forget to understand the myriad of ways that going on a walk during the workday can benefit each of us. 

In short, here are a few benefits that can assist us while we complete our tasks for the day:

• Overall mood improvement 

• Contribution to hitting your fitness goals of either steps or amount of calories burnt

• Improves heart health

• Reduce your stress

• Improves your sleep

• Boosts brainpower

• Enhances creativity 

When I was first tasked to implement walking into my day, I felt that it would be more of a burden than a blessing. I was somewhat unwilling to cut time out of my already busy schedule. 

After only one week of adding this to my schedule, I noticed a difference in my mood and ability to focus on strenuous tasks. I also became more productive knowing that I had an ‘x’ amount of time to hustle before I could take a break. 

I also noticed a difference in the way that I interacted with others. I was personally happier and could share that feeling with others more easily. I quickly realized that the happier I was, the higher the quality of my conversations. I would like to think that I helped others become a little happier too. 

Encouraging outdoor breaks.

Depending on your employer, it is likely that two breaks of 15 minutes are granted to you each day. What you do with this break is entirely up to you, but use them wisely. 

This is the time that I set aside for my walks. There is a large loop around our office complex that I enjoy. It’s not long, only about half of a mile. Our office complex has hundreds of employees and yet I only see the same 3-5 people going on walks each day. 

I once happened to speak to one of those individuals while we happened to be walking. In our quick conversation, they shared with me that they “Couldn’t get through their day without going on a walk”. Funny enough, I feel the same way. 

If you manage a team or a company, it would be wise to encourage your employees or teammates to experience outdoor movement during the day. One quick break at a time, the employees will return refreshed and prepared to better executive their responsibilities for the day. The increase in mental stamina will also assist them in avoiding burnout. If this burnout is not avoided, the employee will feel less intrigued to come into the office each day. 

Many employees feel the desire to step outside but do not due to the fear of what their manager will think. Some employees never take breaks at all for this same reason. 

By instilling a fear-based culture, only damage can be done. Forget about the results on paper, if your team is not being encouraged to engage in movement or breaks during the day their performance and overall buy-in will decline over time. 

Try it out. 

You won’t fully understand how this routine will benefit you until you try it for yourself. Add one break of only 10 minutes to your day to step outside. Do this each day for a week and take note of how you feel and how it changes your performance throughout the day. 

Share your findings and encourage others to do the same. Create a sub-culture behind the idea of stepping out of the office. Perhaps even create a new ritual. Back when our company was much smaller, we would meet at about 8:30 AM and walk to the gas station down the road. Not only did this build our camaraderie, but the movement gave us the kickstart to the day that we all didn’t know we needed. 

It’s simple yet effective. Adding walks or movement to your day will yield higher results for you personally and for your organization. 

It’s the little things that really add up.