‘I spent the time alone in my thoughts – and it ended up being hugely powerful and profound’ (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Can you imagine transforming your whole life in just half a day?
Adventurer Colin O’Brady claims you can do just this in his new book, The 12-Hour Walk, in which he invites you to step out of your front door and start walking with nothing but your thoughts for company.
The idea is to give yourself enough time to shift your mindset, focus on what you want out of life and work through any niggling, negative thoughts holding you back.
‘Every person on this planet has experienced some shift or setback, especially in the past two-and-a-half years,’ says the 37-year-old American, who was inspired to write the book after getting into ‘a negative headspace’ during lockdown in 2020. ‘You might feel adrift, or you’ve lost your sense of self. The 12-hour walk is an invitation to dive back into your mind, and reset.
‘I was sitting on the sofa in my pyjamas day after day. I thought back to when I was last in a positive headspace, and it was walking across Antarctica for 12 hours a day in 2018 [Colin was the first person to cross it solo, unsupported and unaided].
‘Even though my body was weakening on that journey, my mind was becoming stronger and I recalled these clear thoughts around fulfilment, purpose, life and love. So, I told my wife Jenna, “Tomorrow I’m going to go on a 12-hour walk, right out of our front door,” and I did.
I put my phone on airplane mode and spent the rest of the time with no music, no podcasts, just alone in my thoughts, and it ended up being hugely powerful and profound.’
Colin swears by solo walks to clear the mind (Picture: Owen Hoffmann/Getty Images)
Colin loves adventure, but you needn’t go to the mountains for your walk – anywhere will do (Picture: Colin O’Brady)
As an endurance athlete, Colin admits he initially thought the 12-hour walk was ‘just a me thing to do,’ but he insists you don’t need to be an adrenaline junkie to embark on it.
‘Many friends and family were going through tough times during Covid, so I started suggesting it to people and a lot of them took me up on it, including my 77-year-old mother-in-law,’ he says.
‘She did the “12-hour walk” by doing one walk round her block, then sitting on her porch for an hour and then taking another walk. This is meant to meet you right where you’re at.
Six key steps to help you reset your mind, body and spirit
Record: Before you set off, record a short video to verbalise your intentions, the limiting beliefs you want to silence, and how you want to feel when you complete it
Unplug: Turn your phone to airplane mode
Walk: Remain outside for 12 hours. The setting doesn’t need to be silent, but you do.
Rest: Take as many breaks as you need, and move when you can.
Reflect: Record a video as you finish your walk, ideally while you’re still outside. How do you feel? What did you discover? What do you now feel capable of?
‘It doesn’t matter whether you walk one mile or 50 miles. The challenge is for the mind – to take that day in silence and stillness, while activating your body through movement.’
More: Wellness
He suggests any initial negative reactions to the idea of doing a 12-hour walk (you don’t have the time, money, what it takes, or you’re afraid of failing etc) are probably the same excuses you tell yourself in other aspects of your life.
‘It’s me holding a mirror up to you,’ says Colin. ‘The walk is about stepping out of your comfort zone, quietening limiting beliefs and recognising what’s possible. That’s why you should do it periodically, so it becomes something in your toolkit to check in with yourself, and reset your mind, body and spirit.’
The 12-Hour Walk by Colin O’Brady is out now.
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‘I spent the time alone in my thoughts – and it ended up being hugely powerful and profound.’