A good walk and a good deed go hand in hand – add your pledge to the map of kindness now!
Walking is a natural ally of kindness, because it makes us more sensitive to the world around us, our place in it and it gives us a better perspective on our needs and the needs of others. It also acts to hush that inner critic who is so keen on asking us “What difference can YOU possibly make?”. The answer is more than you think!
October 10 is World Mental Health Day, but what walking urges us to do is focus not just on the abstract idea of ‘awareness’, but the practical possibilities of kindness. Things that though they may seem small acts of thoughtfulness to you, can have a vastly disproportionate effect on the lives of others.
We’re part of a wider push to pledge 10,000 acts of kindness across the country in time for World Mental Health day. Please help us by adding yours here now. (Need some ideas? There’s some tried and tested tips from the #walk1000miles community below the map.)
How to be kind
Say hello
But like all gifts, expect nothing in return. “It’s so important to give people the chance to engage on walks. You have no idea when they might or might not have last spoken to someone” says Anna Skuse.
Offer help
And ask the right question if you think someone needs it, even if it’s just ‘Would like a group photo?’. “If you ask someone ‘Are you alright’ they’ll invariably say yes if they aren’t obviously hurt. The question needs to be proactive” says Pamela Wright-Brogan.
Be specific
Friend in need? “‘Can I take you for a walk and a slice of cake on Tuesday afternoon?’ is much better than “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help” says Kathy Berry
Show care
One guy I met, head in his hands, had lost everything, his relationship, contact with his daughter and was ready to give up. He was confused when I offered a hug from a stranger and sat with him. But sometimes that's all it takes – to show people care” says Hannah Clewer
Be the change
Be the change you’d like to see. Bring enough snacks to share indiscriminately; pick up that bit of litter; or grit your teeth and pick up that poo that hundreds will tut at and someone tread in. It made Emma Howell feel great.
Share tips
It feels good to be part of the walk-wide-web: “I always like that as a part of the massive walking community, we sometimes meet people coming the other way and both share any advice / tips about the way ahead – flood / slippery bit / playful cows etc” says Nick Kiley.
Pay it forward
Random kindness can roll ever-onward. Nicola Fast pays for an extra coffee when gets one herself: “I tell the person behind the counter they can choose who to give the free coffee to but it needs to be someone who looks like they need it” she says.
Be present
Being more than ‘there in body’ can help in lots of situations. “I’ve found we’re so distracted by so many things that just letting someone feel as though they really have your attention is considered special these days and really goes a long way” says Jeanie Butler.
Walk & talk
Side-by-side in the countryside is the least confrontational, easiest environment for conversation to grow. You might be surprised what flowers. “I’ve taken to going out walking once a fortnight with my elderly neighbour. We got chatting during lockdown where I discovered I teach her grandkids! She was also a teacher!” says Salyen Dick.
Give
We know it in our hearts and the science confirms it: getting soon palls, but giving makes us happier time and again. Time, experience, effort, resource – we’ve all got something to give. And it’s a positive-sum game to play.
