stuff tagged with "walking"
Craig Mod on the Creative Power of Walking
đź”— a linked post to
lithub.com »
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originally shared here on
When I’m not talking, just walking (which is most of the time), I try to cultivate the most bored state of mind imaginable. A total void of stimulation beyond the immediate environment. My rules: No news, no social media, no podcasts, no music. No “teleporting,” you could say. The phone, the great teleportation device, the great murderer of boredom. And yet, boredom: the great engine of creativity. I now believe with all my heart that it’s only in the crushing silences of boredom—without all that black-mirror dopamine — that you can access your deepest creative wells. And for so many people these days, they’ve never so much as attempted to dip in a ladle, let alone dive down into those uncomfortable waters made accessible through boredom.
For me, from this boredom—this blankness of mind as I walk past sometimes fields and sometimes giant gambling pachinko parlors—words flow. I can’t stop them. My mind begins writing about what we see and refuses to shut up. That gap created by a lack of artificial stimulation is filled—thanks to the magic plasticity of our brains—with words and more words. Without Candy Crush, an inverted event horizon spawns, and out shoots: thoughts. I dictate as I walk.
The Beauty of a Silent Walk
đź”— a linked post to
nytimes.com »
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originally shared here on
Fifteen or 20 years ago, this would not have even been a conversation,” said Ms. Lorre, who has often discussed the benefits of silent walks, most recently on her podcast and on TikTok. But silent walking feels relevant right now because many of us have become tethered to our devices, she added.
The question then becomes: “How do we counteract that?” Ms. Lorre said.
Walking is a well-established balm for the mind and body. Research has shown that walking for as little as 10 extra minutes a day may lead to a longer life. And a 2020 study in The Journal of Environmental Psychology found that a 30-minute walk in an urban park reduced the amount of time that people dwelled on negative thoughts. Walking has also been shown to improve creativity and help fend off depression.
A few months ago, I started turning my walking habit into a silent walking habit.
Sure, some days I’ll throw on an album or podcast, but more often than not, I’m finding myself putting my headphones in, reaching the end of my street, and then pocketing them.
It takes some practice to know what to do with your thoughts, which is a surprising effect of living a digital life. Most thoughts are ephemeral, dismissed as effortlessly as it entered.
Some thoughts are journalible. That’s easy to quickly pull out your phone, wrote them down, and reflect on it later.
Some are scary. Negative. Nasty. Those ones are tough to let go of, but if you acknowledge the thought and permit out to exist, the endorphins will eventually help you move on from it.
I could not encourage you more to get out for a 15 minute silent walk today. Make space for it. You’ll be glad you did.
Take a Walk
đź”— a linked post to
99percentinvisible.org »
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originally shared here on
Now that many of us are working from home, we’re walking in order to fill up space … to clear our minds … to cry … to talk on the phone … to entertain our kids … to do nothing … but walk.
This podcast is best enjoyed sitting down.
(The internet sarcasm is thick in my tone, in case you were wondering.)
How To Simplify Your Life
đź”— a linked post to
youtube.com »
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originally shared here on
It's well understood by good parents that life should only get so exciting for a baby.
After friends have come around and brought presents and made animated faces, after there's been some cake and some cuddles, after there've been a lot of bright lights and perhaps some songs too, enough is enough.
The baby will start to look stern, and then burst into tears, and the wise parents knows that nothing is particularly wrong, though the baby may by now be wailing.
It's just time for a nap.
The brain needs to process, digest, and divide up the wealth of experiences that have been ingested.
Boy, this hit home. It's a short video, but I kept finding myself saying "hmm, that sure makes an awful lot of sense."
I particularly liked the bit about needing to have 10 minutes to digest an hours worth of activity. I think that's why I love going on walks so much.
