A Walk With Nothing in Your Ears

Podcasts and audiobooks are wonderful. They've also filled nearly every quiet corner of the day, including the walk that used to be the place where your thoughts could wander. Try taking one walk a week with nothing in your ears.

It doesn't need to be long or scenic. Ten minutes around the block counts, and so does the walk to the bus stop.

What to do while you walk

Nothing in particular. You aren't trying to clear your mind, which rarely works anyway. If you'd like something to rest your attention on, try one of these:

• Listen. Count how many different sounds you can pick out. Traffic, a bird, a door, someone's conversation fading behind you.
• Look up. Notice rooflines, tree branches and the upper floors of buildings you have passed a hundred times.
• Feel your feet. Notice your heel, then your toes, then the change in the ground when a pavement turns to gravel.

When your mind wanders

It will, and that isn't a failure. You may find yourself rehearsing a conversation or planning dinner. Sometimes that wandering is the most useful part, because a problem you have been pushing at for days can loosen when you stop looking directly at it.

When you notice you have been lost in thought for a while, just look around again. You don't need to do anything more than that.

Keep it realistic

Choose a route that feels safe, and keep your attention on crossings and traffic. If you have a health condition that affects how far or how fast you can walk, go at a pace that suits you, and ask your doctor if you're unsure. A slow walk still counts.

Put the headphones back in tomorrow if you like. The point is to remember what the quiet version feels like.