Mindful Miles

It’s a question I hear quite often, whispered with a mix of curiosity and perhaps a touch of wonder: “How do you do it? How do you get all your steps in, every single day, especially with the beautiful chaos of young children and everything else life throws your way?”

While I wholeheartedly believe there’s no single magic formula – each of us must, individually, discover what truly resonates and works for our own rhythm – I’m always happy to share what helps me embrace my daily mindful miles, often stretching close to 13km. My dear friend, whom I fondly call my “Twinnie,” has even coined a perfect phrase for it: my “walk-life balance.

“So, how does this balance unfold? As you might imagine, my days are a familiar tapestry of commitments: school runs, grocery shopping, appointments, work, and all the other myriad tasks that dictate the flow of a mother’s day. These are all journeys I once made almost exclusively by car or bus. Now, however, I make a conscious, daily choice to transform many of these necessities into opportunities for movement.

For weeks now, the school run, for instance, has become a cherished part of our routine. I walk to pick up my children, and they, in turn, have come to love our strolls home. The very path I once only glimpsed from a car window is now our daily walking route, a ribbon of shared moments and easy conversation.

Just today, as I walked towards their school, I reached a particular stretch that leads directly into the park – a place where we’ve spent countless joyful hours playing after school. A warmth spread through my heart, and I couldn’t help but smile at the rush of fond memories.

In that moment, a beautiful realization dawned: this wasn’t just a route anymore. This was the path that now feels like an old friend, intimately familiar with my footsteps, my thoughts, and the everyday adventures of our family life. It’s a testament to how even the most mundane journey can become extraordinary when viewed with intention and gratitude.