Lockdown continues and concerns regarding mental health and wellbeing are increasing along with concern for the number of Covid cases. We know about the need to stay safe from the Covid in our world but we also need to stay safe within ourselves.
Right now, getting outside safely and walking may be one of the kindest things we can do for our own physical and mental health and wellbeing. Moving bodies, seeing new things and hearing different sounds can be enlivening. Kerri Smith in How to be an Explorer of the World, offers all sorts of fascinating provocations for making a seemingly mundane walk into an interesting and creative experience.
Can you find some tiny objects to create a miniature museum? Can you see a whole palette of colours along the way? What sorts of patterns can you see? Collect objects for their potential magic quality. Attach a story to them or create a fictitious history for the object. Collect objects that appear the same. Study them closely. Are they really the same? Can you use them to create a pattern or a picture?
You don’t have to go far to explore a lot. A neighbourhood walk with senses alert and a curious mind, can be an adventure and an act of kindness to ourselves.
As well as being kind to ourselves we can make a daily walk an act of kindness to others. The registered charity, flyhighbillie is inviting us all to “walk for a kinder world”, one step at a time. Flyhighbillie was established by Danny Kinder and her family in memory of their precious Billie who died tragically in 2016 aged 12. The charity promotes kindness, empathy and compassion in children and young people to reduce mental health issues, bullying and suicide.
Danny says, “November 13 is world kindness day and flyhighbillie are so excited to be holding our second ‘walk for a kinder world’. It’s about walking with purpose; you can complete acts of kindness while walking and raise funds to help others.”
You can set up a fundraising page at fundraise.flyhighbillie.org, decide how far you would like to walk during the month from October 13 to November 13, and ask others to sponsor you. For every $20 raised, flyhighbillie will donate a b kinder workbook and kindness resources to a child in an Australian primary school.
_______________
This is Part 3 of a series by Dr Cathie Harrison about celebrating together through and beyond Covid. See Part 1 on our website https://southsydneyherald.com.au/celebrating-together-through-and-beyond-covid/
See part 2 on our website https://southsydneyherald.com.au/catching-and-spreading-kindness-the-children-show-us-how/
