Woman Sets Out on 'Mental Health Walk,' But Dog Had Other Plans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The internet couldn't stop laughing at a woman's attempt to clear her mind during a refreshing walk outside, being interrupted by her dog.
Chamee Barkman, who is known on TikTok as @chameebarkmanx, needed to get outside for some fresh air and a "mental health walk." But as a dog owner, it only made sense to attempt to hit two birds with one stone and take her German shepherd with her.
Getting in your daily steps is known to boost your mood, as it increases blood flow to both the brain and body. It helps support an active and healthy lifestyle. Additionally, walking can improve sleep, reduce stress, increase energy and mental alertness, aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and enhance heart health, according to WebMD.
And while this was the intent for Barkman's walk, as well as to get her canine out of the house, her dog decided he wasn't interested. He needed the walk to release his energy.
In her June 9 video, she filmed herself walking and holding the dog's leash. All seemed calm until she flipped the camera around to show what she was dealing with: her dog sprinting around her in circles.
He hopped through the tall grass, taking a quick breather and looking at Barkman before running past her for rounds two, three and four. It wasn't what Barkman imagined for a mental health walk. In fact, she wrote on the clip that her dog was "making it worse."
Newsweek reached out to @chameebarkmanx via TikTok for comment.
Screenshots from a June 9 TikTok video of a woman trying to go on a "mental health walk" but her dog running around and making it a bit worse.
Screenshots from a June 9 TikTok video of a woman trying to go on a "mental health walk" but her dog running around and making it a bit worse.
@chameebarkmanx/TikTok
Viewer Reactions
The dog's total disregard for a calm walk left people in stitches, bringing in over 3.3 million views and 438,900 likes on TikTok as of Tuesday.
"I'm laughing at how horrible it feels to be in this situation because it's your last straw and they're just vibing," commented a viewer.
"And then you can't go on a walk by yourself because you'll feel guilty that your dog should be getting a walk too," a second viewer commented.
Another commenter pointed out: "The dog even looked back like, 'You good?' and then carried on."
Others defended the dog's behavior: "To be fair, that's his mental health walk too, and he seems to be enjoying it."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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