“Silent walking,” the latest TikTok sensation, is the act of going for a walk without phones, listening to music or a podcast, or any other technological distractions. While to earlier generations this sounds suspiciously like a walk in the woods or the ancient Zen Buddhist monks’ practice of “walking meditation,” to Gen Zers it’s their latest discovery.

Behind Gen Z’s growing enthusiasm for silent walking is the appreciation for its many benefits.

• It’s safer. Walking around focused on your phone, talking or texting—it turns out—can be dangerous amid people, car traffic and the occasional street obstacles (e.g., fire hydrants, light poles and garbage cans).
• It reduces stress. Noise is a stressor, and stimulation can compound the feelings of anxiety. Moreover, the stress reduction benefit of a quiet walk in nature can be realized in as little as one hour!¹
• It makes you more mindful by bringing you into the present moment, allowing you to become more aware of yourself and your environment.
• Silent walking gives your body an opportunity to get into the parasympathetic state of rest, restoration and digestion.
• By clearing the mind of noises and distractions, it provides the brain with the clarity to hear yourself generate new ideas.
• Silent walking is the gateway to the simple pleasure of filling your five senses with the natural wonders that surround you.

How to Silent Walk

For Gen Z readers new to silent walking or readers of another generation who have let themselves get swamped by today’s barrage of barking and push communications, here are the keys to reaping the full advantages of silent walking.

• Walk in a quiet area. The fewer the distractions, the better the experience. Urban dwellers may not have easy access to the quietness of the woods, but there are always relatively quieter spaces in a city, like a park.
• Take care of your bodily needs, like thirst or hunger, before taking a silent walk so they don’t become distractions.
• Take active notice of everything around you. Look to the sky above and the ground beneath you. Observe the depth of color and patterns. Notice the shape of clouds. Stop to touch a flower and marvel at its design.

The French writer Balzac wondered why no one has ever asked themself why they walk and what they achieve by walking. He apparently never tried silent walking, for otherwise he would never had needed to ask that question.

Source:

1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220906114334.htm

Please reference disclosures at: https://blog.americanportfolios.com/disclosures/