Have you ever felt frustrated during a seated meditation or when attempting to achieve the ultimate task of clearing your mind? Are these exercises just another reminder of how you will never tame your squirrel brain?

You're not alone.

For many neurodivergent individuals, traditional meditation and mindfulness activities can be challenging and uncomfortable.

But it doesn't have to be!

The Mindful Neuro Way is a neurodiverse-informed approach. By implementing activities that work with the squirrel, not against it, you can ease some of that frustration. No more forcing a mindfulness practice that is not meant for you.

If you prefer listening over reading, we've got you covered!

For those who enjoy recording your mindfulness journey, I have created the Walking with Intention journal.

(There are affiliate links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Mindful walking is one activity that has worked great for me. Combining movement with mindfulness exercises is a great way to stay engaged and present, offering an easier way for those of us with busy minds to find calm and focus in our everyday lives.

Starting a mindful walking habit doesn't require a formal practice or a set amount of time. Just commit to walking every day, no matter the distance or duration. Whether you're in the grocery store, taking a stroll in the great outdoors, or going to the kitchen, you'll discover that practicing little and often makes mindfulness an activity that you can do.

Let go of any pressures to achieve a perfect zen state or a step count, and just enjoy the moment. Imperfect mindfulness is still mindfulness. Mindful walking can fit into any of the activities you already do every day. It may take a little more effort in the beginning, but when you adopt the mindset of little and often, you will become more connected with yourself, others, and the world around you, one step at a time.

What is Mindful Walking?

During a typical walk, your mind might drift to your to-do list or worries. While setting an intention to solve a problem during your walk can be helpful, mindful walking encourages you to focus on the sensations of walking. You pay attention to your breath, the feeling of your feet touching the ground, and the smells, touch, sights, and sounds around you.

Benefits of Mindful Walking Interventions

Mindful walking offers numerous benefits for both the mind and body. Here are some key advantages:

1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety: By focusing on the present moment, mindful walking provides the mental benefits of reducing stress and anxiety. It allows you to step away from your worries and find a sense of peace. It also has been directly linked to improving the symptoms of depression and borderline personality disorder.
2. Improves Focus and Concentration: For those with ADHD or other neurodivergent conditions, mindful walking can enhance focus and concentration. The act of walking helps channel restless energy, making it easier to stay attentive.
3. Boosts Physical Health: Walking is a great form of physical exercise. Incorporating mindfulness provides a boost to the many physical benefits of walking: helps to prevent heart disease, lowers blood pressure, increases stamina, and improves blood sugar levels, circulation, and digestion. Now, this has more to do with walking at a slightly elevated pace. You incorporate what works for you.
4. Enhances Emotional Well-being: Mindful walking encourages positive emotions. It helps you connect with your surroundings and appreciate the small things in life, which can boost your mood and emotional health.
5. Promotes Better Sleep: Practicing mindful walking often can improve sleep quality. The physical activity tires your body, while the mindfulness aspect calms your mind, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Build a habit by committing to walk every day. Don’t worry about the length of time. Just move- wherever you are. The key is to practice little and often and make it easy to implement into any activity.

For more information on the benefits of mindful walking, you can check out this article on mindful walking benefits.

Getting Started with Mindful Walking Activities

If you can relate to anything I stated above- traditional meditation and mindfulness feel like you are working against yourself. Whether by yourself or in a group, all forms of mindfulness and meditation can be modified to fit your particular situation.

This practice combines your natural pace of walking with mindfulness techniques, making it accessible for those with busy minds or ADHD. Below, we’ll explore some actionable steps to get you started on your mindful walking journey.

Choosing the Right Environment

There are hundreds of articles on the subject of choosing the environment that is just right for your meditation. But you are here because you don't find mindfulness easy to incorporate into your life. What feels easy to our neurotypical friends often feels like a mountain to climb for those of us with ADHD or other neurodiverse traits. If we wait for the perfect opportunity- well, we just plum are not gonna do it, missing millions of mindfulness opportunities. 

So, whatever you think you know about mindfulness and meditation- close the book. You are going to create a practice that works for you, and it may very well not be anything you have read or heard about. Our focus is not to be the zen-iest person out there. Our hope is to be more mindful than we were yesterday.

So, what is the right environment? Look around you. You are in it now. Authentic mindfulness starts wherever you stand.

Mindful Walking Activities

Mindful walking is an excellent way to combine physical activity with mindfulness. It's particularly suitable for those with busy minds or ADHD, as the movement helps maintain focus. Introducing various mindful walking activities can transform a simple walk into a rich, calming experience. Here are several activities to enhance your mindful walking practice.

Activity 1: Basic Mindful Walking Meditation

Mindful walking involves paying attention to your steps, sensations, and breath as you move. Here are the basic steps:

1. Find Your Pace: Begin walking at your normal pace, but a bit slower than usual, to really feel the sensations of walking. If possible, try connecting to the ground with and without shoes. 
2. Check-in with Your Body: Notice how your body feels when the soles of the feet touch the ground, the movement in your legs, and the sway of your arms. What is happening within your body? Do you feel calm or excited?
3. Focus on Sensations: Pay attention to your breath, the breeze on your skin, and the rhythm of your steps. Consider the subtle shifts in your body as you move. With each next step, pay attention to the sensation of walking, moving from your right foot then to your left foot. 

It is not possible to be focused on what is going through your mind and have full awareness of your body at the same time. By being fully aware of these sensations, you can anchor yourself to the present moment, easily letting go of stress and anxiety. 

You may not notice the changes at first, but practicing little and often exercises your emotional intelligence. What once was a cause for overwhelm will be replaced with unwavering stability.

Activity 2: Setting Intentions

Before starting your walk, it’s helpful to set a mindful intention. This enhances the experience and keeps you focused. Here’s how:

1. Be Clear and Specific: Decide what you want to focus on during your walk. It could be something like “I am calm” or “I am kind to my body.” This is a statement that guides how you would like to feel or be today. “Today, I am enough.”
2. Positive and Present Tense Focus: Use positive and present tense wording as though it is true right now. Instead of “I won't get distracted,” try “I am always present.”
3. Repeat Your Intention: As you walk, repeat your intention. If you are willing, do it out loud. Our mind believes what we tell it and more so if it hears it. If your mind wanders, just notice that it has wandered and bring it back to your intention. Don't be alarmed if you find yourself frequently bringing your thoughts back. This is normal.
4. Break the Rules: You heard me correctly. Once you know the rules, then you can break them if something else works better for you. My personal favorite intention, “I don't do overwhelm,” worked the best for me. The general rule is to keep the focus on positive words, but sometimes, you have to trust that you know what you need.

Setting an intention is different than setting a goal. We often think of a goal as having an ending result. Like mindfulness, setting an intention does not have a final destination. Intentions are a journey of well, intention. It's about being aware and present in the journey so you can fully experience and enjoy it.

Setting intentions has made a huge impact on my life. Do I still have anxiety and get overwhelmed? Yes, I do. But it does not severely impact my mental health and life as it once did.

Activity 3: Sensory Walking

Using our senses is the core of mindfulness by anchoring you in the present moment. To practice sensory walking:

1. Sight: Observe the colors, shapes, and movements around you. Notice the details in plants, buildings, or your bookshelf.
2. Hearing: Listen to the sounds around you, like the rustling leaves, chirping birds, or the washing machine.
3. Touch: Feel the wind on your face, the sun on your skin, or the texture of the ground or carpet under your feet.
4. Smell: Inhale the different scents, whether it's fresh grass, blooming flowers, or the nearby food court.
5. Taste: Savor any lingering tastes, like the remnants of a snack or the coolness of the air.

Make sensory walking an everyday activity. Engage your senses in this meditative technique by bringing your attention to the present moment and to everything that is around you.

Activity 4: Body Awareness Walking

Body awareness walking involves focusing on different parts of your body as you step. It's like a moving body scan, which helps integrate physical sensations with mindfulness.

1. Feet: Start by noticing the sensation in your feet as they touch the ground. Feel your weight shift with each step.
2. Legs: Move your attention to your calves and thighs. Notice any muscles working as you walk.
3. Torso: Focus on your midsection, noticing your breath and how your spine supports your body.
4. Arms: Be aware of your arms swinging gently or resting at your sides.
5. Head and Neck: Finally, bring your attention to your head and neck, noticing how they balance your movements.

This exercise reduces tension and increases body awareness.

Activity 5: Gratitude Walking

Gratitude walking encourages you to notice and appreciate the beauty in your surroundings. This practice can improve your mood and outlook on life.

• Start with Gratitude: Before you begin, take a moment to feel grateful for the opportunity to walk and enjoy the beauty around you. This can be done outside or inside. Wherever you are.
• Focus on Beauty: As you walk, deliberately focus on what catches your eye. Beauty is all around you. It could be a blooming flower, a gracefully shaped tree, or getting a glimpse of the artwork hanging on the fridge as you take steps across the kitchen.
• Express Appreciation: Express appreciation for these moments of beauty. I prefer to do this out loud, but it can also be done in your mind. This could be a simple “thank you” to the earth, God, or your body.

Gratitude walking is a powerful way to combine gratitude with mindfulness, bringing positivity into your day.

Activity 6: Walking with Affirmations

Walking with affirmations is similar to walking with intention. Where intentions focus specifically on how you would like to feel or be today, affirmations are positive statements about yourself to change your mindset. Walking with affirmations integrates meditating on positive phrases into your walking routine. Remember, you believe what comes out of your own mouth more than anyone else's. Although you may not believe the phrases now, if you keep going you will see your mindset shift.

• Choose Your Affirmation: Select a phrase that resonates with you, like “I am calm,” “I am strong,” or “I am present.”
• Sync with Steps: Repeat your affirmation in sync with your steps. For example, with each step, think or say out loud, your affirmation. If this is difficult to incorporate, that's okay. Remember, this is your practice. You are always allowed to modify any exercise at any time in a way that works for you.
• Bring Back to Focus: If you have a brain, your mind will wander. Don't worry about it. Gently bring it back to your affirmation without judgment. 

Using affirmations makes your walk more empowering and helps you remember who you are.

Activity 7: Combining Technology with Mindful Walking

In today's digital age, technology can be a valuable ally in maintaining a mindful walking practice. Mindfulness apps provide guided walking meditations, while step trackers can motivate you to keep moving. Integrating these tools makes it easier to stay consistent and on track.

Practicing little and often is a walk in the park. Literally. But it can also be a walk across the living room. The goal is not to be perfect but to create more mindful moments. Are you ready to be less stressed and more present in your life? What are you waiting for? Get walking!

Tips for Staying Consistent

Staying consistent with mindful walking can be challenging, especially when life gets busy or struggling with executive function. Creating a consistent practice where there are no expectations except to show up makes it easier. Here are some practical tips to help you stay on track and make mindful walking a regular part of your routine.

Starting Small

Decide what “starting small” means to you.

If setting goals and planning works for you, that is great. If you are in the space to learn about creating habits, I recommend the book Atomic Habits as a great resource for figuring out a system that works for you.

Do not create a plan that you know will be too difficult to follow through on. You can put empowering sticky note reminders around the house. Use any of the activities we discussed, or write down your own. Put them in places where you can easily notice them and can fit them into your current routine. No time commitment, just show up every day. Two minutes will naturally turn into five, and so on.

Tracking Progress

If you're someone who gets overwhelmed by the idea of tracking progress, skip to the next step. If you love it, then you probably already know that keeping track of your mindful walking can be incredibly rewarding and insightful, helping you stay committed and observe changes in your mindfulness journey. Here are some effective ways to track progress:

1. Maintain a Journal: Write down your experiences after each walk. Note the duration, what you noticed, and how you felt before and after. I offer a printable Mindful Walking journal you can download to help you record these moments. 
2. Use a Mindfulness App: Apps can help you log your mindful walks and provide guided sessions.
3. Review Regularly: Take time each week to review your journal or app entries. Reflect on your progress, challenges, and the benefits you've noticed.

Tracking your progress keeps you motivated and helps you see the positive impact of mindful walking over time.

Adapting and Embracing Imperfection

Mindfulness shows up in unsuspecting places. It may be an hour of hot yoga one day and video games with your son on another. From my own experience, besides nighttime cuddles, nothing connects my son and me more than if I choose to be fully engaged and play one of his favorite video games with him.

Mindful walking has become one of my favorite mindfulness practices. Combining quick and easy mindfulness exercises with fun walking activities makes it easier to stay engaged and present. Build a habit by committing to walk every day. Don’t worry about the length of time. Just move — wherever you are. Children make excellent walking buddies, and so does the family pet. You can habit stack mindful walking with other activities like yoga or daily chores to make it fit into your current schedule.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Blow bubbles with your toddler while walking around the sofa. Notice the laughter and maybe the taste of bubbles when you accidentally put the wand too close to your mouth. Am I the only one who does this?

Example 2: Sip your coffee while you slowly take a lap around your yard, noticing the sounds of the birds or frogs, the feel of grass between your toes, and tickling your eyes with the puffy clouds in the sky.

You get the idea. Now, let go of any pressures to achieve mindfulness. This is a practice of non-striving. Continually striving to be better or improve is a constant reminder to yourself that you are broken. Being judgmental makes mindfulness feel like an extra item on your to-do list while on the often hurried and frustrated quest to feel and be better. Mindfulness is not a race. As you often hear, and it is true, mindfulness is a journey.

Although there is a conscious effort to keep an open mind and incorporate a mindful walking activity into your life, I will let you in on a secret: You are whole right now, in this moment. Everything you need is already within you.

Accept yourself where you are right now in this moment and delight in the sensations of inner peace that naturally arrive. Incorporate what you have learned here, and soon, mindful walking will be second nature and perhaps will become one of your favorite mindfulness practices like it is mine. 

Continuing the Journey

Join a Supportive Mindfulness Community

Join my private TMN Facebook Group, a community just for women like you, where we talk about:

• Overcoming Mindfulness Challenges: Discover strategies to manage overwhelm and stay grounded, even on your busiest days.
• Mindfulness for Neurodiverse Women and Children: Explore tailored exercises that honor your unique way of experiencing the world.
• Practical Mindfulness for Busy Minds and Lifestyles: Share and learn practical tips that make mindfulness an effortless part of your day.

In the TMN Community, you'll find support, inspiration, and a wealth of resources to help you be more present and foster deeper connections with yourself and those around you. It's a space for growth, learning, and sharing the mindful journey with others who understand the hustle of everyday life.

So, if you're eager to expand your mindfulness practice and find even more ways to stay connected, join me in the group. When you join, you will receive a free Mindfulness Tracker to help you discover which mindfulness activities work best for you.

Together, we'll explore how each moment can be an opportunity to be present and how every mindful practice, no matter how small, enriches our lives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is mindful walking? 

​Mindful walking is the practice of being fully present and engaged during the act of walking. Unlike regular walking, mindful walking involves focusing on the sensations of your steps, your breath, and your surroundings.

How does mindful walking benefit neurodivergent individuals? 

​Mindful walking is particularly beneficial for neurodivergent individuals who may find traditional sitting meditation challenging. It combines movement with mindfulness, making it easier to stay engaged and present.

What are the key benefits of mindful walking? 

​Mindful walking offers multiple benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety, improving focus and concentration, boosting physical health, enhancing emotional well-being, and promoting better sleep.

What should I focus on during mindful walking? 

​You should focus on each step you take, the breath moving in and out of your lungs, and the sights, sounds, and smells around you. This sensory engagement helps anchor you in the present moment.

How can I set mindful intentions before walking? 

​Before starting your walk, set a clear and specific intention for what you want to focus on, such as noticing the beauty around you or focusing on your breath. Repeat this intention during your walk to stay focused.

What are some mindful walking activities I can try? 

Some activities include sensory walking (engaging all five senses), body awareness walking (focusing on different parts of your body), appreciative walking or gratitude walking (focusing on the beauty around you and practicing gratitude), and walking with affirmations.

Can technology aid in mindful walking? 

​Yes, apps like Mindfulness.com offer guided walking meditations. Step trackers and wearable technology can help you monitor your progress and stay motivated.

How can I stay consistent with mindful walking?

The most important thing is to show up every day. You can practice in your everyday activities. If you like to track your progress, you can do so with a journal or a mindfulness app, and integrate mindful walking with other activities like yoga or daily chores to make it more sustainable. The key is to practice little and often.

Is it okay if I'm not perfect at mindful walking? Absolutely. Imperfect mindfulness is still mindfulness. The key is to practice regularly and enjoy the moments without putting pressure on achieving a perfect zen state.

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