My Favourite Depression Getaway Walk

My Favourite Depression Getaway Walk

Something I do almost every day is walk for depression. Walking is my favourite depression getaway. Even on a bad day I force myself to walk. It will often be the best part of my day! It will sometimes be the only good part of my day.

I would like to describe for you one of my favourites. It goes through Beavermead Park in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, a nearby city.

This park has everything I need for a depression getaway from a walking path, a little lake, a stream of people all around enjoying the outdoor space in the middle of the city. The pathway goes over a creek, then over a liftlocks, and continues around the lake. Open and spacious but intimate and friendly at the same time, you can hear and see the city around you but you feel protected from it.



As I leave the park I head into a neighbourhood of old houses which I love. Observing house styles, gardens, for sale signs, and more people provide even more little depression getaways for me.

This part of the walk heads into another small park, then over a railway bridge which crosses a river and has wonderful views of the river and lake, plus the city scape.  When you finish crossing you are right in the middle of the city.

But I am still on the river's edge and can follow a path along the water. Just a bit of city walking behind a Holiday Inn and I am in a park again! This time it is a marina and I am on the other side of the same Little Lake that my first park touched on. The park has a delightful garden, a walkway of fame, a stage for summer performances, and an art gallery. I am still right in the city.

Time to walk through another old neighbourhood, more historic homes, and more lake views. This section ends at a fabulous cemetery and as I walk through there I say goodbye to the lake for a few minutes.

Next, I must walk along a very busy road which is not the favourite part of the walk, but by now, I am so energized and my mind is so rested from thinking about non-depression things, that I don't care where I am anymore. The good parts of the walk have done their magic on me and I could be anywhere. My mind is at peace.

One of the reasons this walk means so much to me is not just because it is a great walk, but it is the walk I took every day when I was going through one of the darkest periods of my life. This walk saved me every day.

If life has dealt me a painful blow, this is the walk I head for.

Exercise in an of itself is helpful for depression, but by combining it with these wonderful sights and sounds, it becomes a healing balm for me. It is an old friend, a therapist's couch, a hot cup of tea, a hug from my sister, and a quiet time of prayer all wrapped into one walk.

WHAT ABOUT ME? I have a lot of favourite walks. Each walk lifts a bit of depression and adds a bit of sanity. I don't know how I would even cope with my own depression without my walks.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you have a special activity, or a special place, that ministers to you when you are really down? Would you like to share it with us? Or, do you need to find one?

Don't give up! I am praying for you. There is hope for depression.