Self-Care Practices: Walking the Crescent City Connection Bridge

How walking the Crescent City Connection Bridge in New Orleans became one of my favorite self-care practices.

Last month, I participated in THE CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION BRIDGE RUN here in New Orleans a little tradition I’ve come to love. I didn’t go in with big goals or perfect pacing. I just wanted to show up, move my body, and take in the moment.

Last year, my friend ran ahead while I walked the bridge alone quiet, steady, watching the top of it get closer and closer. It felt nourishing in a way I didn’t expect, almost meditative.

This year, I lined up in the walking section, certain I’d take it slow the entire time, but once I walked that hill and started going down the other side of the bridge, something in me shifted. I ended up running briefly twice not because I planned to, but because it just felt right in the moment.

The energy of the crowd, the cheering, the sun going down as we neared the finish line it was all a reminder that growth often sneaks up on you. I finished at 1:02, a couple of minutes faster than last year, but the real win was realizing how much my consistency at the gym this summer had quietly strengthened me.

THE CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION BRIDGE RUN has become one of my favorite self-care practices a reset I didn’t know I needed. It’s not about speed or competition. It’s about endurance, community, and learning to carry yourself literally and emotionally all the way to the finish line.

✨ Reflect & Apply

💚 Physical Well-Being
Consistency builds quiet strength. Months of one-hour gym sessions prepared me for endurance I didn’t realize I had. Movement doesn’t have to be extreme it just has to be repeated.
→ How might you bring more consistency into your own movement even ten minutes at a time?

🌿 Community & Connection
Crossing that finish line with the crowd cheering reminded me how shared energy lifts you higher. Sometimes self-care is showing up around others who are working toward their own goals too.
→ Who could you walk or train with to make progress feel lighter?

💡 Skill Development
Training for a race teaches pacing and patience learning when to push, when to pause, and how to celebrate progress without comparison.
→ What habit in your life could benefit from pacing instead of perfection?

🎨 Creativity & Expression
Walking became a moving meditation a time to think, release, and notice what’s around me. Creativity can bloom in motion, not just at a desk or in a studio.
→ Where could movement help you clear mental space for creative ideas?

💰 Financial Well-Being
Races and community events don’t have to be expensive to feel rewarding. Choosing local or low-cost options builds the same sense of accomplishment without the pressure to spend.
→ How can you invest in experiences that energize you without draining your wallet?