Instructions:

• Instead of the usual walk through a well-known space like your home or workspace, try doing it backwards.
• Determine the route of your walk. Study your way to the place where you want to go. At home, it can be going to another room or going to get something. At the workplace, it can be a trip to a colleague’s workplace or another office, to the photocopier, to the kitchenette, to the binder that you use every day.
• Turn your back to the chosen place and start walking. Feel the surrounding objects with your hands and prepare for possible obstacles. Feel free to look behind you if you feel the need to.
• While moving, try to become aware of individual parts of the body. Focus on a particular part of the body at a particular moment. Let your breathing follow the rhythm of your movements.
• At the beginning of practising this activity, it is good to choose familiar places and take a short walk. When you have practised the exercise for a while, go for longer walks and in new areas.

Advice:

You can play some instrumental music if it would help you relax.

Extra:

When one is facing stressful or repetitious activity, the body is experiencing either too many or not enough stimuli which has negative effects on physical and mental well-being. Walking backwards is an easy activity which can immediately feed one's brain with new and mood-enhancing information, as well as provide physical exercise.