The morning walk

Being a freelance reporter working from home, my office is just down the stairs. I could wake up, dress, take the stairs, turn right and sit down in front of the computer - and it would be just thirty and some steps.

But I never do that. I very rarely go straight from the breakfast table to the desk in my office either.

Rain or sun, winter or summer – after breakfast I put my shoes (or boots) on and take a walk. Sometimes a short one. Five, perhaps ten minutes. But often more.

More is better, but what really matters is not for how long. The important thing is to get out of the door and walk.

For a body that spends the day at a desk, either sitting or standing, getting that tiny amount of exercise makes a difference.

But the impact that my morning walk has on my mental focus is what really makes it so important.

With smartphones and other technology, many of us sometimes struggle to separate work from private life. Always connected, alway online. But with the office at home, things become even harder. Private chores get mixed up with work related stuff and the other way around.

To me, that walk every morning is a ritual that tells me that my working day is about to begin. That it's time to shift focus, to forget about the dirty laundry and start to think about the interview I'll make after lunch.

In similar fashion, it's important to feel when I have finished today's work and “returned” home. That it's time to finally think about that laundry.

To me, feeling is key to focus shift.

Often, just deciding what gonna be the next day's first task or two is enough. To write them down, ready to be looked at the first thing next morning.

But not always. Has the afternoon been intense in some way or another and I haven't had time to wind down, it's time for a second walk. To leave work and walk home.

Boots on and out the door.