The Small Joys That Come From An Autumn Walk

If there is one thing that I’ve learned in the past few years, it is that, along with a cup of tea, a walk in the fresh air can fix nearly anything.

At this time of the year it can be hard to convince yourself that a walk in the crisp air can do you good but I assure you, it really can.

There is something liberating about being able to look ahead of you and see nothing but green. Whether it’s fields of green, rolling hills, mountain tops, the edge of a cliff or just the parkland at the back of your house. There is something about being outside, surrounded by nature that simply calms you. Or at least it has that effect on me…

And now that we are in that time of the year when the world is filled with an array of vibrant colours, there really is no better reason to get outside and relish in it. The wind whistles against your face and through your hair. The mud squelches up beneath your wellies. And it’s absolutely necessary to take a coat with you, even if you don’t end up using it, simply because the weather is a bit unpredictable. But all of that comes together to add to the experience of the Autumn Walk. It’s an experience that you can only enjoy at this time of the year – in the gap between packing away your Summer wardrobe and having to drag out all of your bulky Winter clothes.

At the moment my world feels like it is spinning at an alarming rate. These past few months have been filled with more than my fair share of grief and what with a number of other worries, so I thought that it was about time that I took some time out for myself at the weekend. Time to enjoy the simple things. Time to go for an Autumn walk, especially seeing as I missed the beginning of the season as I was busy sunning myself up on the beaches in Bali! (First world problems, aye?)

So, I threw my camera round my neck, pulled my new (and favourite!) jumper over my head, dragged on my boots and headed out towards the canal with my mum in tow. And we spent the next hour snapping photos, commenting on the wildlife and simply wandering along by the canal pass. And these were the small joys that came with going for an Autumn walk…

All of the colours. The layers and layers of clothing you get to snuggle between. The thrill that comes with finding a still intact conker this late in the year. Stopping to listen to the birds in the trees. Watching the dogs playing in the fields. Catching a glimpse of a deer in the distance. Still being able to hear the crunch of leaves beneath your feet. The laughter that comes after realising that you’ve been walking for so long through the long grass that your feet are soaked. The comfort that comes from returning home to put on dry socks and for a cup of tea.

And, as if by magic, by the time I stepped back through my front door – I felt calmer than I had felt in a long time. It’s funny, isn’t it, how much we all focus on the big things in life and forget the smaller joys? We are all so busy focusing on the next big achievement – the next pay-rise or promotion at work, buying a house, settling down that it becomes easy to forget about the things going on in the here-and-now.

That’s why, in the end, there is something so refreshing and satisfying about taking time out to really appreciate the things around you. And what better time to do that than right now, when the world itself is giving you so much to look at?

*Some clothing in this post was gifted to be by LOTD