Wellness & Balance

I used to walk for all the usual reasons—fresh air, steps on the fitness tracker, that vague sense of “doing something healthy” after hours of screen time. It was mostly background noise to my life, a way to fill the space between tasks, and occasionally, a guilt-fueled attempt at countering a sedentary day. But something shifted about a year ago.

Last week, I took my laptop to a park on a whim. I wasn’t trying to be poetic about it—I just couldn’t look at my desk anymore. I had one bar of WiFi, a lukewarm coffee, and a to-do list that felt emotionally manipulative. But then I looked up. The wind was playing with the trees like they were wind chimes, kids were shrieking somewhere in the distance, and even though I hadn’t done anything productive yet, I already felt better. Sharper. More grounded.