I Walked To Work (And Home) For A Year–And It Changed Everything

It’s worth adding that I didn’t walk in and back every single day. Like many other office goers, we at Vogue House work from the office three days a week, and work from home the other two days. (On those days, though, I started taking shorter lunchtime walks.) There were also days when it was too stormy to walk (though I don’t mind a bit of drizzle, providing I have an umbrella), and other days when a very late night made it necessary to take the Tube–but these were exceptions, not a regular habit.

Now, more than a year on, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I average just over 12,000 steps a day (compared to, say, 4,000 when I was commuting), and I feel the difference in my body: I’m stronger, I have more energy, I’m a lot less lethargic. In the past, I’ve woken up with a slight twinge in my back, or knee, or foot, but now, I find that walking–just the act of putting one foot in front of the other–seems to sort everything out. I feel my body realigning, recalibrating, as I move.

I also, like many people, have seasonal affective disorder and have found that this routine lessens its effects. Often in winter, I’d spend almost no time outside during the day–I’d commute back and forth in the dark and maybe pop out for a quick lunch in between–but now, I get a mandatory hour of daylight and fresh air every morning. Yes, sometimes it’s cold, but I wrap up warm and after 20-ish minutes of walking I’m often very, very warm.

And I feel the mental health benefits year round, too. My walks provide a self-imposed pause–a period of time I can use to reflect, but not to write, reply to emails, work through a to-do list or scroll mindlessly through a news feed. In a world where everything feels uncertain and anxiety-inducing, it’s also something that gives me a degree of consistency and stability. It’s something I love; something I look forward to; something I do just for myself.

After a while, I started walking further on weekends too, taking buses and trains only when going significantly further afield. Over time, I’ve found that it’s helped me know London so much better and love it so much more. When you’re taking the Tube from one place to another you usually have your blinkers on, but when you walk, you get to see the in-between places you’d have no other reason to go to or stumble upon restaurants and cafés you’ve never heard of. And you realize how much of a city, away from the bustling main roads, is quiet and serene and incredibly picturesque.