‘Walking has made us fall in love all over again’

Making a conscious effort to do things differently can be hard: it’s unpredictable territory, outside of our comfort zone – it’s easier and safer just to stick with what we know.

Yet, as Emily discovered, it is precisely that unpredictability that can bring wonderful surprises.

Emily started using the BetterPoints app when she joined the Move for Change programme in Brighton & Hove.

‘The app is a really nice, casual reminder to go outside, and it gets it into your routine without anything feeling forced’, she says, adding that it has been ‘the inspiration to get outside more and to walk into town’.

‘It’s a reminder that I actually can walk those journeys.’

But walking has had a much more profound impact on Emily’s life than simply getting her out of the house: it has revitalised her relationship with her partner.

‘We started off with getting the walk around the park done and chatted away, and then we’d walk into town together or walk before or after work, just fitting it in whenever we’ve got time.

‘It’s meant that we have quality time together, instead of just being sat on the couch.

‘We now talk more, and it’s been good for us as a couple.

‘I think walking has made us fall in love all over again.’

That’s amazing!

And what a wonderful example of how the relatively predictable, intended outcomes of behaviour change are only half the story!

There can be so much to discover about ourselves, the world, and our relationship with it, with just a little encouragement to do something a bit differently.