A color walk is a simple mindfulness practice. You choose a color before stepping outside and then move through your environment, noticing anything that matches it. That might mean spotting green leaves, blue cars, or pink storefront signs as you walk. The appeal is in its ease. Color walks do not require equipment, tracking, or a specific setting. They create space for presence in a way that feels accessible rather than demanding. For people who experience anxiety or tend to ruminate, that shift in focus can be meaningful.
“Color walks help both our brain and our body to slow down,” says Adebisi Gbadamosi, a licensed mental health counselor in Florida and founder of Mindful Blooms Counseling and Blooming With Bisi. “It allows us to focus on something tangible in a way that literally forces our minds to lock in on what’s in front of us. By making time to focus on the present, our anxiety isn’t as pressing, and the constant thoughts in our heads become quieter.”
By redirecting attention to the physical world, color walks interrupt mental spirals without asking people to suppress their thoughts. The mind stays engaged, but in a gentler way.
The Role of Play in Healing
Color walks also tap into something often missing from adult wellness routines: play. That lightness is not accidental, and it matters more than it may seem.
“Society works really hard to rid us of our joy and playfulness,” Gbadamosi says. “When we push back against that and allow ourselves to be lighthearted, we get to reclaim some of our autonomy in a way that is free and invites softness. Without it, we end up carrying a heaviness that was never meant for us to hold. Healing doesn’t have to be boring!”
Many wellness practices are framed as work; something to be completed or mastered. Color walks remove that pressure. The goal is simply noticing, which allows curiosity and enjoyment to take the lead.
Why Color Walks Can Be Especially Meaningful for Black Women
For Black women, color walks can feel both grounding and affirming. They offer a pause from the constant expectation to be productive, available, or emotionally strong.
“We as Black women already have such an eye for beauty and creativity,” Gbadamosi explains. “Color walks can allow us to rest in a way that feels safe and grounding. It’s an activity that gets to be just for us in our minds. It’s a chance to just be present in our surroundings in a world that always demands so much from us.”
That emphasis on presence is important. Color walks do not ask Black women to explain, perform, or process. They create a private mental space that belongs entirely to the person walking.
In that sense, the practice becomes less about exercise and more about permission.
A Practice That Adapts to You
Another reason color walks are easy to sustain is their flexibility. There is no correct pace, route, or duration.
“The flexibility of color walks is part of what makes them so powerful,” Gbadamosi says. “You can pick where you walk or for how long. You can adjust the color you pick based on your surroundings. It gets to be a grounding exercise that is personal for whatever you need in that moment.”
That adaptability makes color walks useful on days when energy is low or time feels limited. They can happen during a lunch break, while running errands, or even indoors.
Small Ways to Add More Joy to Daily Life
Color walks fit into a broader idea of making mental health care feel more human. Gbadamosi encourages people to look for moments of movement and fun throughout the day.
“I love a good dance break,” she says. “I think everyone should have a song that feels fun to them and gets them moving or singing at the top of their lungs.”
These moments do not need to be structured or long to be effective. They work because they bring people back into their bodies and offer relief from constant mental noise.
Color walks do the same. They remind us that slowing down can happen in motion, that care can feel playful, and that noticing beauty is sometimes enough to shift how the day feels.