This week we’re chatting with Lee Chambers, a psychologist and the author of Momentum: 13 Ways To Unlock Your Potential, published by Kogan Page on 3 January 2025.

Hi, Lee! If you could recommend One Good Thing everyone can do to improve their mental health, what would it be?

It may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but my one good thing is going for a walk in the evening. We have a tendency to underestimate the impact of physical movements on our mental wellbeing, and we tend to see fitness as something much more intense and ambitious. I have to caveat that as a man who lives in a relatively safe area, that this is much more accessible, especially during the dark evenings of winter. But we can get creative in the spaces that we use (and team up with a group) and even a few minutes of walking can make a marked difference to how busy your brain is, how you feel mentally and how well you sleep.

Why is this your One Good Thing?

This has been my one good thing for the past 10 years, after having to learn to walk again after illness. Nothing makes you as grateful for being able to walk as spending a year not being able to. But also, with the nature of my work with my social enterprise Male Allies UK, where I engage men in inclusion, the skills of allyship and closing gender gaps, alongside being a father of three, a gender equity activist and author, my mind is extremely busy. Add in being autistic and my head is usually running at 100 miles per hour. Walking makes me mindful and actually slows my mind down, allowing me to tidy up and clear all my ideas and thoughts, while feeling my feet against the ground and the breeze against my cheeks. And once my brain is tidier, and the blood is flowing to my head, the last part of walking is where I come up with some of my best ideas, which I write down before I go to bed.

Sounds great. What other benefits could we see from an evening walk?

We can all get different benefits from movement, but what I’ve discovered is that it gives a boost to your mood in the moment and afterwards, and it can also give you a little protection from stressors that lower your mood, working as an amplifier on one side and a protector on the other. As humans we are designed to move, and by doing so we trigger a whole range of biological processes, including enhancing our sight and cognitive function. For me, it gets me in the moment, gets the blood flowing to my head, and with this I can compartmentalise the day and create space for creative thinking away from technology and my everyday to do list.

Not only do I get a clearer mind, bright ideas and a few more steps in, but I also practise my resilience muscle when it’s cold and dark and I don’t feel like doing it. I feel that with all the focus on exercise, we forget about how powerful movement is, and the longer-term benefits of walking to our cardiovascular health, bone and joint health compound over time. While you literally gain momentum as you walk (the name of my new book), and this movement can feel like progress on the days you feel you haven’t got anywhere, it’s not just of benefit to the mind, it’s also good for the body and our soul.

There’s no wrong way to go for a walk, but are there any common pitfalls of your One Good Thing? Anything we need to consider?

Some common pitfalls are becoming overly focused on measuring your walk. In a world of wearables, we can force ourselves to get our steps in, but this can create an obsession with the outcomes, rather than getting the benefits of being in the moment. If you notice this about yourself, ensuring you don’t track it in an unhealthy way can be beneficial. Secondly, let’s be honest, when it’s cold, wet and dark, you can feel like this is the last thing you want to do. I counter this by making it easy by having it in my diary and having my walking shoes in view. I also find little ways to reward myself for pushing beyond the resistance and actively notice how I feel afterwards, which reminds you of why you do it.

How do you personally do your evening walk?

Again, this may not be the way for everyone, but I have a set route from my house that walks a well lit pavement from where I live in a loop back to my house. The lack of variety keeps me from getting too distracted by new things, but I do reverse the direction every time I go. It’s usually between 8-9pm, after I’ve put my children in bed for the evening; if my partner is out or at her hobbies, I will do it during the day.

How has doing this changed your life for the better?

After not being able to walk, it’s given me a new-found appreciation of my mobility and it’s kept me fitter and healthier in the process. It has had me realise you don’t need to be competitive or intense to embrace movement and its benefits, but most importantly, it’s been a way to manage my mind, help me to write my book and is the catalyst for some of my best ideas and biggest learning. All while walking along, step by step.

Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series homepage to get started.

Image: Adobe