Many months ago now I realised I needed to get out and about more. Sitting at my desk all day, every day wasn’t really good for me. It’s turned out to have been a good move but it seems the pool of things to do is actually wider and deeper than I realised. So, if you happen to feel you might need a pick me up, then read on.
I’ve loved being a full-time author. I get to write for hours every day, five days a week, which is not only fun but has also allowed me to progress many more story ideas than was ever the case before. After a bit of a tussle I’ve also come to enjoy much of the time I spend on marketing and other non-writing activities. If only I’d made the jump sooner!
However, after a few months I came to realise that I was enjoying things so much that I was only ever leaving the house on a regular basis when I go for a short pre-work walk in the morning. That, of course, really wasn’t a good thing. Too much time by far sitting at a desk and too little time getting exercise, fresh air and re-charging those batteries by doing something different.
My response was to delegate Wednesday afternoons to non-authorly things. I started calling this part of the week my Wednesday Afternoon Wanderings and I have made a point of visiting somewhere different each and every Wednesday afternoon.
I’ve visited towns, such as Leamington and Rugby, gardens and woodlands, such as Batsford Arboretum, museums, such as the British Motor Museum, and gone for long walks across the nearby countryside. It’s been wonderful and I can’t recommend this sort of thing enough. I feel refreshed, inspired, delighted and properly exercised.
But I recently bumped into an article that discusses the findings from a Cambridge University study that identified a link between cultural outings and feeling happy or even fending off depression. It seems that going to see a film or a show, or paying a visit to a museum regularly is beneficial for your mental health.
Now, I’m not so sure about those that involve sitting down, since part of the reason for my Wednesday Afternoon Wanderings is to get some exercise, but it was certainly good to see that what I have found in practice is also reflected in academic studies. What’s more, it seems the range of activities that can be beneficial is wider than I had originally thought.
So, what are you waiting for? Put down that post-lunch coffee, put on your coat and shoes and get yourself out there to whatever cultural delights you can find, safe in the knowledge that it will likely do your mental health some good, as well as be fun.
I know I am now going to be looking at a wider range of adventures for my Wednesday Afternoon Wanderings.
All the best,
Ben
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