Keep the purpose visible
If you want fresh air and a break from your desk, choose a route that serves that purpose. A familiar level loop may be more suitable than a long route with a steep climb simply because an app labels the latter more impressive.
Decide whether you want company, quiet or an errand along the way. These details often determine whether the walk fits the day. A route to the library and back may be easier to repeat than a separate trip to a distant trail.
Leave the performance comparison out if it changes the outing. Chasing a previous pace, adding hills and extending the distance turns an easy walk into something else. That may be enjoyable on another day, but it is a different choice.
If you go with someone else, describe the plan before setting off. A short easy loop and a fast hour with hills are different invitations. Agreeing on the route gives both people a chance to choose the outing they want, without one person feeling obliged to turn a quiet day into a harder effort.
Notice the whole route
Include the return journey when choosing a distance. A pleasant outward walk can become a much longer commitment if you are already tired or the weather changes. A short route with an optional extension keeps the decision open.
Wear suitable footwear for the surface and conditions, and carry what the setting requires. An urban loop and a remote path need different preparation. There is no benefit in treating a rest-day label as permission to ignore the ordinary demands of being outdoors.
If walking is uncomfortable or you have been given individual activity restrictions, follow appropriate professional guidance. Calling movement gentle does not make it suitable for every person or every situation.
Let enough be enough
You can turn back without completing a round number. You can also choose a different quiet activity if a walk is not what the day needs. A step total is a record of movement, not a contract signed that morning.
When you return, judge the outing by its purpose. If it gave you a manageable break outside, it has done what you asked of it. There is no need to add a finishing circuit at the door.