I am a creature of habit who typically walks the same trail day after day: A two-and-a-half mile path on a dirt road starting at the rear of a tiny 9-hole golf course and ending at a sandy bay beach. Yet despite the fact that I’m often walking the same trail, I actually take four very different kinds of walks, each of which feeds and fuels me in a unique way. Many days, I’m able to recognize which kind of walk I need and plan accordingly. Here are my four kinds of walks.
Walk #1: A Walk in Silence.
Sometimes, I head out for a walk with no distractions, no agenda and no set intention. No music. No podcast. No company. It is time to let my mind wander. To daydream and just be. Nothing particular on my mind, no problem I’m seeking to solve. These are the walks that rejuvenate me when I’ve been working—and thinking—hard and are perfect when I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed. They help me recharge my batteries, repair decision fatigue, fuel up my creativity and help to tamp down cortisol, the stress hormone that tends to make me feel anxious.
Walk #2: A Walk to Solve a Problem
Sometimes, I set out on a walk with the hope of solving a particular problem, processing a particular challenge or sorting through a particular emotion. As I walk, I ruminate on the issue at hand, and gently bring my mind back when it starts to wander. Since, like many people, my brain works best while I’m walking, this tactic has enabled me to break through things on which I’ve been stuck and generate the fresh ideas I need to solve a thorny challenge. The key is to capture any ideas that arise quickly, before they get lost in the whirlwind of my return to home or office. So while I walk, I will sometimes capture my ideas as audio notes in my phone or write them down immediately after my walk.
Walk #3: A Walk to Lose Myself
Sometimes, I simply want to move my body at the same time I lose myself in music or a podcast or a story. These walks are best when I have nothing much on mind and are especially good if I want to try to rack up the miles and fire up my endorphins. These are the walks that, by the end, have me dancing down the trail singing aloud, or doing an entire second lap because I’m dying to hear how the story ends.
Walk # 4: A Walk with Friends
Walking is the best way I know to connect with the people I love. Free of distractions, out in nature, conversations flow easily from one subject to the next. In fact, the value of walking with other people is so incredible it was the subject of my entire TEDx talk.
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