This week we’re speaking to Cheryl Rickman, a positive psychology practitioner and author of You Can Flourish, to find out about her One Good Thing.

Hello Cheryl! If you could recommend one good thing everyone can do to improve their mental health, what would it be?

Simple. I would recommend a gratitude walk.

Interesting! What is a gratitude walk? And why is it your One Good Thing?

A gratitude walk simply requires going for a walk (ideally somewhere peaceful near nature but anywhere outdoors will do) and, as you walk, thinking about what you’re grateful for.

It never fails to make me feel better and ticks multiple wellness boxes – harnessing the power of gratitude, mindfulness and nature connection. It can take anything from 15 minutes to an hour, so it’s an achievable good thing too.

So what does your traditional gratitude walk involve?

To go on a gratitude walk, you simply need to focus your attention on anything that gives you delight – that you appreciate having or being. This could be anything from feeling grateful to have a roof over your head, having supportive friends or the fact you and your loved ones are in good health. 

Once you’ve felt that gratitude in your heart, look around you and bring your attention to anything you see, smell, touch or hear that pleases you. From a heart-shaped leaf or the blueness of the sky to the scent of fresh bread or the sound of bird-song. 

This simple act of noticing, of paying attention to ‘now’ combines mindfulness with a gratitude practice, so you can savour not just what you’re generally grateful for but your present experience too.

Cool! And what are the benefits of doing that?

The benefits are four-fold. Firstly, practising gratitude is amazing. If it could be bottled, gratitude (sometimes called ‘a natural antidepressant’) would be a wonder drug. As I write in my book You Can Flourish, according to neuroscience studies on brain activity carried out by the Universities of California and Miami, when people intentionally practice gratitude the flow of feel-good neurochemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and oxytocin, multiplies and the neural structure is literally re-sculpted. 

So, by devoting more attention to appreciation, we can develop happier brains. We are also more open to finding solutions to problems after experiencing the positive emotion of gratitude, so we not only feel better, we think better too. And those who habitually feel and express gratitude perform better, sleep better and heal better. So, we can literally change our brains and bodies for the better by being grateful.

Secondly, going on a gratitude walk promotes mindfulness. We spend so much time in our heads ruminating about what’s been said or done in the past or worrying about what might happen in the future, that it can be difficult to enjoy the present. And our never-ending to-do lists can make it challenging to savour the moment.

Gratitude walks also promote vitality and creativity: walking can boost our creativity, as well as offering physical benefits to the body. 

Last, but by no means least, it allows us to connect with nature. Woodland and parkland walks have been shown to invigorate and energize us more than walking in urban environments for the same length of time and at the same pace. Seaside strolls along the coast breathing in all that sea air also help us feel and sleep better.

All this goodness from a 15-minute stroll.

That all sounds good – but are there any potential pitfalls we should look out for while practising gratitude walks?

The only pitfall could be a lack of time or the environment in which the walk takes place. If there are too many distractions during the walk, if you can’t be alone to walk, or if you can’t spare 15 minutes to go for a gratitude walk, that could be preventative. But there are no pitfalls to the actual practice of gratitude walking itself.

Amazing! And how do you personally incorporate your One Good Thing into your life?

I go on a gratitude walk every day while I walk the dogs, either before I start work or at the end of the day.

And how has that habit changed your life?

I went on my first gratitude walk as a new mum. It helped me gain perspective during those ‘ground-hog’ day moments of early motherhood and focused my attention on what was going well while getting me out of the house. 

I later found my gratitude walk particularly helpful in helping me to grieve for my dad and to continue to honour and remember my mum. 

I always feel better after a walk as it clears my head, but by focusing on gratitude and being mindful, I find solace and see that even on difficult days there is always something to be grateful for.

You Can Flourish by Cheryl Rickman is out now

Image: Getty/Stylist Design Team