What a Color Walk Can Teach Your Nervous System

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how our nervous systems crave gentle, sensory experiences, especially as the days get darker and colder. One of my favorite grounding practices, a color walk, is simple. Go for a walk, outside or even in your home, and intentionally notice one color at a time.

You might start with green. How many shades can you spot? Then move to red, or yellow, or blue. It is less about finding something beautiful and more about letting your attention soften.

Something shifts when you do this. Your body slows down, your breath deepens, and your mind gets quieter. The world feels more alive, and you start to remember that safety can be felt, not just thought about.

A color walk invites your mind to come back into your body. It steadies the breath, relaxes scanning or anxious energy, and builds the skill of orienting, which is a core part of nervous system regulation. When you orient to what is around you, your system gets the message that it is safe enough to be in the present.

Whether you are walking under cloudy skies or noticing the colors in your living room, it is a gentle way to practice coming home to yourself.

To your brave beginnings,
Alexis

Further Reading

Kabisch, N., & Haase, D. (2023). Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: A systematic review. Current Psychology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z

Olafsdottir, G., Cloke, P., Schulz, A., van Dyck, Z., Eysteinsson, T., Thorleifsdottir, B., & Vögele, C. (2020). Health benefits of walking in nature: A randomized controlled study under conditions of real-life stress. Environment and Behavior, 52(3), 248–274. https://www.ovid.com/journals/envab/fulltext/10.1177/0013916518800798

Frontiers in Psychology. (2019). Adaptive effects of seeing green environment on psychophysiological parameters when walking or running. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30809177