In a very British way, I’m boringly passionate about the benefits of fresh air and exercise, much to the irritation of my children. I’ve blogged previously about ways to get around writer’s block; however my personal all-time favourite way is just to go for a walk.
Even when I worked for A Large DIY Chain on the outskirts of town, near absolutely nothing of any interest, I’d still get out during my lunch break and have a quick stank (Cornish for “brisk walk”) along the main road, Alan Partridge style. The other option was to poke around one of the local suburban estates, admiring the clipped lawns – not exactly exciting, but I’d still return to my monitor rosy of cheek and fresh of mind.
Because just getting away from it is a wonderful way to collect your thoughts – just step away from the desk and into another environment, however brief, however mundane the surroundings. As I walk, words come to me. I especially love it at this time of year, as there’s the added bonus of crunching through leaves (and let’s be honest, who ever really grows out of doing that?).
There’s plenty of stuff out there on the health benefits of walking every day, and as a desk-hogger with a biscuit habit, it’s just as well that I like to move about a bit. (Although earlier in the week, my work involved writing about James Bond, and nothing could have dragged me away from Google images and Daniel Craig…) But as well as the leg-stretching, it’s the opportunity to clear my mind that I really appreciate.
So, at a loss for words for this blog, off I ambled down the lane to the post box. It was one of those beautiful Cornish autumn days. The sun was out. There were lots of leaves to crunch through. I even saw a squirrel. And I came up with a blog post – about walking.