For the past three years, daily walks have become a non-negotiable part of most of our lives. We head out for a brisk stroll before work or to the station, head out for a breather at midday and – if it’s dry – might spend the weekend on pub walks or cafe rambles. 

But despite knowing the benefits of my walks, it’s becoming harder and harder to leave the house. We’re waking up in the pouring rain and finishing work in the dark. Lunchtimes are damp and cold. And with work ramping up ahead of the festive season, it’s also just harder to find the time to step away and get outside. It’s much easier to stay warm, dry and plough through.

Is this a problem? Are we damaging our mental and physical health by staying indoors?

Clinical psychologist Dr Jo Daniels says that right now, “it’s really normal to not want to go outside”. 

“At this time of year, we tend to move into hibernation mode, so it’s reasonable to feel a pull to the indoors – especially when there’s so much good stuff on Netflix.”

She tells Strong Women that it’s fine to succumb to the desire to curl up under a blanket rather than head out in the cold – but only in moderation. “Mental health difficulties generally arise from not getting our basic needs met in one way or another. What we find is that if we stay inside for too long, we end up not having access to some of the things we need,” she explains.

First and foremost on that needs list is exercise. While there are no government guidelines about how many steps we should be doing a day, we do need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week for physical and mental health, according to the NHS. “Exercise is crucial for both mental and physical wellbeing, as it helps us get rid of built-up tension and anxiety and also releases endorphins and makes us fitter to respond to infection,” says Dr Daniels. 

But you can get those needs met from home (although if you aren’t motivated to go on a walk, are you really motivated enough to put yourself through a proper training session?). So it still feels like there’s little reason to leave the house. 

While “research shows being in nature is particularly good for our mental health,” according to Dr Daniels, the benefits of the outside world are less to do with the actual fresh air and trees, and more about the routine and interactions that things outside of our bedrooms can give to us.

“Face-to-face contact is really important for wellbeing,” she says. That means talking to the cashier in the supermarket, smiling at strangers as you walk past them and a walk with a friend who lives close by really can do wonders for you. 

“We’re social animals, so we really need that. But what’s key is that talking to people gives you perspective. The longer you spend inside, the longer you have to focus on your own thoughts and your worries. There’s no distraction from that. 

“It’s a trap people fall into, as without perspective, we might feel low – and the lower we feel, the less likely we are to do things that make us feel good. Then we’re more likely to spend more time on our own and focus even more on our own concerns.”

Stylist’s beauty director knows that cycle all too well. “Back during lockdown, I realised at one point that I hadn’t left my house for 14 days. I don’t really have a solid reason as to why – between the cold weather, dark days and a lack of motivation, I just couldn’t really bring myself to go out for a walk,” she says.

“I finally got myself out of the house for a lunchtime stroll and while I felt a lot better, I have to say – I found it quite boring. The only convenient walking path near me is along a dual carriageway – not lush parks or gorgeous beaches like I see on Instagram. But I felt like my mind space had definitely shifted for the better when I got back home.”

As with everything, “there are exceptions to those who need to be outside to feel better, such as those who are real introverts,” says Dr Daniels. Forcing everyone to go outside may not be the best idea if it makes someone’s mental health worse.

But what about those who can’t get outside? It’s not always easy if you’re disabled, are dealing with an injury or have your hands full with small children. “It’s definitely much more difficult for those people, but I’d encourage them to use video call rather than just the phone. It allows you to have much more nuance during your interactions,” Dr Daniels says.

“The other thing they can do is just make sure they’re working a little bit harder on the depth of connection, rather than the frequency. It’s really important to think about what you need from an interaction and who you want to speak to in order to get that.”

Another important step for safeguarding mental health when you can’t – or don’t want to – leave home is to find a different anchor. If you use walks to punctuate your day, “it can become easy for your day to just become one big pool of work when staying inside,” says Dr Daniels. “It’s really important to keep a really clear distinction between daytime and evening with good routines.”

“Having something meaningful to do, and that makes you feel good, is important. Choosing things that are important to you and creative is really key.”

She also reminds us about the importance of keeping active if you aren’t doing that on a daily walk, and flags that it’s important to stay aware of signs that your mental health is starting to deteriorate. Signs might include spending more time worrying than not worrying, lacking in motivation, having little interest in doing the things that you used to do, and withdrawing socially.

So long as it’s not a regular habit that you’re doing instead of talking or meeting up with other people, then there’s no issue. Fancy hunkering down for a slow day under the cover? Be our guest. 

Images: Getty/Unsplash