What are you doing with your lockdown commute time?

I’ve discovered that I’ve inadvertently swapped my commute for time spent living in the moment. And I love it!

I am very thankful to live in the countryside, so have been making the most of the freedom that offers me and swapping my regular commute time for lockdown exercise with plenty of early morning and evening walks. I mainly take the same route (and my camera) but there’s always something new to see. And, it’s the action of looking and listening, in the moment, which fills me with a sense of calm and well-being.

Living in the moment – also called mindfulness – means being actively aware in the present with all your senses. It means not dwelling on the past, or being anxious about the future.

Although these terms have been buzz words for quite a while now, I’m really just experiencing the power of their meaning now. Being unable to make tangible plans for anything has caused a shift in mindset. It’s the little things I really focus on, that cause me to be in the moment and not worry about the state of the world and future uncertainty.

For me, I love seeing the transformation that spring brings about, watching the lambs grow, the finches flitting around, and the ever changing colours. The speed with which the hedgerows are burgeoning into life, the hawthorn blossom already nearly over, is perversely helping me stop and pay attention rather than panic at the passing of time.

As most of my neighbours are sheep, I rarely meet anyone so feel comfortable that I’m well within the government guidelines for taking exercise at this time. I don’t have to go far at all before I’m on the river Tees, where I now find I’m slightly disappointed when I don’t manage to spot the heron who has become a regular feature of my walks.

Of course, finding ways to reach those moments of mindfulness will be different for everyone. But, at a time like this, it’s really important for our mental health to take time to try to live in the moment to help still any overwhelming feelings that lack of control can bring.

I like to give my eyes a treat and look for things I might not have noticed before, and listen to the amplified sound of bird song in the quiet location where I live. But, what could you do with those longed-for extra couple of hours a day to help bring you happiness and calm?

Most of us are guilty of moaning when we’re at work that we don’t get enough time to spend with the family, or to take up a hobby, or read that book we bought a year ago. Well here’s our chance!

When, and indeed if, we return to what we once considered ‘normal’ I wonder will this practice stay with me? I hope so, and hope you enjoy some of the photos I have snapped while taking my daily lockdown exercise.