Resistance, Well-Being, and a Stairway Walk
Last weekend, I participated in the Third Annual SF Stair Challenge. Our local pedestrian advocacy nonprofit, Walk SF, hosted this fun-filled 5.5-mile, 2,000-stair-step adventure in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood. Needless to say, it was a good workout and endorphin rush! There was so much to love about this experience, and it made me think about how resistance and well-being can go hand in hand.
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In my last blog post, I talked about how resistance in the current moment can be exercised through our economic vote in daily life. I discussed refraining from consumerism, especially on Amazon; spending less time on social media, and leaving X, Facebook, and Instagram altogether; and limiting car trips, including minimal use of Waymo, Uber, Lyft, and other corporate ride share taking over our streets.
This form of resistance aimed at consolidated economic power (and its disproportionate political influence) may feel like sacrifice, as we have become dependent in many ways on the things mega-corporations provide. Indeed, it is about making changes in our lives, which can be hard. However, if we redirect where we spend our time and money in certain ways, we may gain more than we lose.
We know that time on our phones and digital devices, accumulating and managing lots of stuff, and being stuck in car traffic is not making us happy. Yet, it’s difficult to break these patterns. We need an alternative that pulls us away and keeps us coming back for more. Living connected to place can be that alternative.
A large body of research and our intuition reveal that having more real-world connections in our lives boosts our well-being. Connecting to nature, community, and each other releases oxytocin, serotonin, and other mood-enhancing hormones in our bodies while decreasing stress and related cortisol levels (and helps us wean off dopamine-inducing social media and consumerism). Regular nature, community, and social connections in the places where we live create a constant wave of good feelings.
When we combine these experiences with physical activity, health benefits further enhance our mood and well-being.
Shifting our lives in these ways can also be a path to more financial security, spending less money on cars, indoor energy use, digital devices and entertainment, and stuff.
Weaving in a sense of purpose adds to a sense of lasting satisfaction.
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All these elements of well-being and living connected to place were present at the stair challenge. It was a morning filled with joyful connection, health, and purpose.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Walk SF team- Jodie, Marta, Guy, Kathleen, Malena, Fiona- and a host of volunteers. Over 500 people had signed up for the event, and I imagine all who made it there that day felt a strong sense of belonging from the start, as I did.
Urban nature was on full display next to the stairways and in sidewalk and community gardens and parks along the route. We were awestruck by the plentitude of nature and spring blooms in small pockets within the city. The views from Bernal Heights Park were spectacular. We could see most of the city from there, but what made it extra special was the grasslands and trees that surrounded us and formed the setting for the view.
Then came the owls! It turns out that habitat restoration in the Presidio, parklands in the northwest corner of San Francisco, has led to a resurgence of great horned owls across the city. Exiting Bernal Heights Park, we stumbled across three of them. There was a nest and an offspring, presumably with its parents. They perched silently on the treetops, seemingly paying little attention to the many of us who had gathered to appreciate their presence and beauty.
Social connections were also abundant that morning. I had the pleasure of walking with a wonderful group of people. My wife Lisa, friends Dan and Nita, and next door neighbor and friend Patrick planned to do the stair challenge together. We were joined by Patrick’s friends Rachel and John, and new acquaintance Leslie. Our three hours together were filled with conversation and sharing in the delight of our experience and what we saw and sensed.
Stair Challenge designers Eric Chase and Nancy Botkin
We were also connecting to community. We had created our community of seven stairway walkers, and our group frequently expanded to include others on the route. At stops, we exchanged greetings and reflections on the experience with other participants. I chatted with Mary Edna, who serves with me on our Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association board. We came upon Nancy Botkin and Eric Chase, who have designed and mapped out these incredible walks, at the Bernal Heights Park vista. Local journalists Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub blended into our community fabric. They had previously reported on the stairway challenge and were now just taking in the experience. When we returned a bit exhausted but in great spirits, the staff and volunteer team were there to celebrate with us.
In addition to all the joyful connections, our well-being was deepened that day by a sense of purpose. We were raising funds for Walk SF and their work on grassroots climate action and improving pedestrian safety and the quality of life in San Francisco.
We were also, whether intended or not, participating in resistance. Outside and in community, we were resisting the powerful forces that have shaped so much of our lives to be behind screens, in cars, and dealing with stuff. These forces tend to isolate and separate us, and our mounting environmental and social crises have much to do with them.
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Not every day can involve a great community walk, but living connected to place is something we can do every day. I wrote about many people doing just that last year in my Profiles in Living Connected to Place Series and in my overview of the series. To truly change how we live in today’s world requires systems change (the focus of my forthcoming book), but we can do much in our lives now to connect to nature, community, and each other in the places where we live. When options exist, we can take the bus, walk, bike, or scoot and feel nature and community around us. If car dependency seems unavoidable, trip chaining or combining multiple destinations (shopping, work, youth sports, etc.) into one trip limits time in cars and frees up time for connecting to place. Gardening, sitting on a front porch or stairs, local volunteering, shopping at a farmers market, and walking or exercising in your neighborhood are some of the many ways to bring local connection into our lives.
Resistance through living connected to place feels more like flow than sacrifice, once it becomes integrated into your life. The benefits to our well-being keep us coming back for more. It can be a path to lasting satisfaction in our lives and benefit our communities and environment at the same time. And when you have time, do an outdoor stairway walk with others to experience it fully!
