I started barefoot walking. As simple as that.
I now try to walk barefoot as much as possible. Yes, I have found that donning my shoes as often as I can helps me with the release of stress and anxiety and also forces my mind to re-focus on the present moment.
If we think about it from a physiological standpoint the feet-brain connection makes complete sense.
-reduces my social anxiety by forcing me to engage with other people who are likely wondering why I am not wearing shoes in situations that others would.
BTW: Most people ignore it, some find it funny or odd, but mostly folks are simply interested into the why, and strike up an amiable conversation. (No, I am not going into BPD at that point but stick to the mediation and mindfulness part and may tell them about other physiological health benefits. That's all they need-and likely want--to know.
A second BTW: You might have heard of a related technique called "earthing" where your feet are supposed to connect with the ground to exchange positive and negative energies like a dowsing rod. To date, there is no scientific proof for this particular practice. The jury's still out on that one.
How I got started? Slow, by walking barefoot around the house and in the yard more often. Since those first steps I have taken more nature walks through the woods in my bare feet which greatly helped with mood improvement and energy levels.
Now I have a morning routine where take my meds, down a glass of water with fresh pressed lemon juice and walk barefoot from my work to my coffee shop. I do this, and I know that my day is off to a much better start.
I don't know whether anyone has tried this or will, but this has been working well for me. Maybe it will also work for someone else.
Feel free to ask me anything or let me know whether it helped you as well.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm "into" walking. But I don't walk barefoot outside. I live in a large metropolitan area & I don't think I'd want to walk barefoot around here. I do walk barefoot in the house when it's warm enough to do so.
I used to have some Vibram running shoes that had toes in them. They felt very much like you were walking barefoot. They didn't hold up well on the concrete & asphalt though. And they were expensive. I was fortunate to get the pair I had deeply discounted at the end of the season a few years ago. I doubt I'd buy another pair.