Take a sniff, not a walk… 🐕

I’ve been looking after my sister’s dog this week, whilst she is on holiday.  As any dog owners will know, they need walking at least once a day.  Funny then, that we often don’t give ourselves the same loving treatment of doing daily things that are good for us.

I was in the middle of work and not making progress, instead I was feeling exasperated as I’m waiting on people to get back to me and cannot move forward in many areas.  So, I decided to take the dog out whilst it wasn’t raining (how unusual for the summer of 2023!) and even whilst the sun was peaking through.

I find walking the dog frustrating as it’s not exactly what I’d call a walk; it’s more of a ‘sniff’.  She spends most of her time excitedly sniffing everything we pass, so we barely get a few steps before she stops to smell something, wagging her tail profusely.  It is lovely to see her enjoying it though.

Pattern interrupt

It occurred to me that the walk and sniff is her ‘pattern interrupt’.  The thing that breaks up the monotony of her day and gives her a fresh perspective, a shift, a yin to the yang.  Certainly the sun coming out after the last few months of very poor summer weather has been a pattern interrupt many of us are enjoying.

For humans, our pattern might be a cycle of negative thoughts, worrying or not being able to move forward that leaves us stuck.  Changing activity is a pattern interrupt for us.  Amidst the frustrations of work, going for a walk (or sniff) outside in the fresh air and getting a change of scene changed my perspective and shifted me, allowing me to come back to my desk with a freshness and to move on to another task and thought process altogether.  It helped me see the bigger picture again.

Brain food

Indeed, as we’ve discussed previously, exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins, brain derived neurotrophic factor and growth hormone, which are all necessary for good mental health.  As we share on our Getaways, exercise is a great way to interrupt our being stuck, or negative or destructive patterns of thoughts, and it gives immediate relief in the moment.  We can also call a friend, speak to a therapist, cook a meal, spend time with others or our children, do something creative, read or even take a quick nap.

The walk, or other activity, isn’t just about the exercise though, it’s also about the mental stimulation and the mental break.

Mental magic

Interestingly, I’ve been listening to some of the work of Michael Pollan, an expert on the use of psychedelics for mental health, and he suggests that the reason they are effective for depression is that they offer a pattern interrupt for our pre-existing and deep-rooted neural pathways, allowing us to rewire old thought patterns and emotions into new ones.

So next time you’re in a pattern of something that is not constructive, why don’t you take a ‘sniff’ outside, get some exercise, or do whatever that pattern interrupt might be for you?

Until next time.

Well wishes,
Andie. x