A Step to Sustainability: Walking as a Habit
Walking from work to home is my habit, so I do not think that I am consciously advocating for sustainability every time I do so. When a habit is formed, our advocacies become more than a checklist of things of what we can do: they become a lifestyle.
Going on foot became my habit because I get to:
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Improve my creativity: mulling over the most mundane things I experience along the way, I engage in “fantastical daydreaming” by allowing my mind to wander, expand attention, and follow a design challenge.
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Feel good: walking releases positive hormones which boost positive emotions.
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Catch up with my friends: inviting my friends to walk with me so we can talk and catch-up.
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Stay healthy and fit: achieving my fitness goal of daily physical activity and energy burn.
A 1.7-km walk might not be much when it comes to reducing one’s carbon footprint but doing it consistently can develop into a habit of choosing to walk instead of riding a car or a tricycle for short distances. Choosing between sustainability or convenience becomes an instinct to choose the former. Now, I instinctively choose to walk from home to a gym in Anonas when ILAW is closed, to the barber in Esteban Abada, to the grocery store, and to nearby restaurants to dine-in instead of using online food delivery services.
I encourage everyone to form a habit around sustainability by considering how to make the experience more accessible, enjoyable, and immediately beneficial.
Tara, lakad tayo!
Dr. Resty Collado
Director, Growth, Upgrading, and Resource Office (GURO)
