Specialized Walks for Creativity, Connection, and Cooling Off

There are many great reasons to take a walk, besides the fitness benefits. Most days, I head out on morning and evening dog walks with Dave. But, sometimes, I head out on specialized walks that help me with situations I’m dealing with in my life. Here are a few of my favorite types of walks to go on: creativity walks are for sparking ideas, connection walks for developing relationships, and cooling off walks for calming down and reducing anxiety.

Creativity Walks:

When I’m struggling to develop an idea for a post, I love to head out for a walk by myself. Getting away from the blinking curser and breathing in the fresh air is a great way to stimulate the creative part of my brain. Looking to plan an idea walk? Here are some of my tips for success:

Creativity Walk Success Tips: 

• Pick a natural setting rather than an urban one. Think parks, trails, beaches, lakes, or gardens. If there’s a beautiful neighborhood nearby, that would be an option as well.
• Ditch the headphones. Let the setting provide the soundtrack. Really listen for the sounds of the leaves rustling, birds chirping, or the waves crashing.
• Pay attention to the smells around you (hopefully, they are pleasant). For example, can you smell the ocean, trees, or flowers?
• Avoid people. This doesn’t mean you need to drive out into the middle of nowhere! Instead, think about walking in a place that doesn’t put you into contact with people you would usually talk to. In my case, that means I typically avoid walking around our neighborhood lake during my idea walks because I will run into my neighbors and want to talk. Then I forget all my ideas. So when I’m heading out on an idea walk, I make sure to go a different way.
• Have a simple way to capture ideas. I like to dictate them into my apple watch as they come to me. You could also bring a small notebook to write them down.
• Be patient with yourself. Some idea walks are better than others. There are times when my idea walks are full of creative ideas, and others aren’t. 

Photo Walk

I love to take photos, but I don’t always bring my iPhone. Since my Apple Watch has cellular, taking my phone isn’t necessary on every walk. If I feel creative, I’ll head out for a dedicated photo walk.

Success Tips for Photo Walks

• Timing matters: It is usually best to head out on a photo walk in the morning or before sunset. The lighting will be best then. It gets more challenging to do the walks in the middle of the day when the sun is at its harshest.
• Notice the details: When I’m out on a photo walk, I try to look at my surroundings in more detail. I think about the foreground and background. I look for the beauty in the little things. One evening, Dave and I were heading to our favorite restaurant, and I noticed the wisteria blooming on a post in the shopping center. The sun was gleaming through the lavender blossoms. Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
• Take lots of photos: Not every photo you take will be stunning, but if you increase the number of photos you take, you’ll learn and grow as a photographer. When I’m done with a photo walk, I’ll scroll through my photos and pick out my favorites. I will crop and adjust the lighting on my favorites and pay attention to the styles I like. The more pictures I take, the more I am confident in what I want to capture.

Connection Walk

Walking can be a great way to cultivate conversation and connection in relationships. I’ve written about how beneficial couples walks have been for Dave and me. Walking has been a way to increase our teamwork during challenging times. Connection walks can be a great way to deepen other relationships as well. Here are some of my tips for success for connection walks:

Success Tips for Connection Walks

• Length needs to suit everyone. For example, if you’re walking with someone who can walk ten miles easily and know that you can only walk one mile, don’t plan a three-mile walk. It won’t be fun for you.
• Pick a location that you both enjoy. My eldest son, Ken, loves to walk on the trails near our house. So when we go out for walks together, that is where we go. But, when I head out for a walk with Dan, I know he likes walking the lake. So that’s where we go.
• Walk to a fun destination. I love walking to coffee or a meal with people. The destination offers a reason for the walk and puts a nice break in the middle of the walk. 
• Allow for silence. Sometimes the conversation flows, and sometimes it doesn’t. Allow space for both.

The Cooling Off Walk

When I’m too angry or frustrated to make sense of my emotions, I will head out for a walk. Getting out of the situation I’m in and moving helps me reset for a more productive conversation later. So if you’re feeling angry, consider taking a walk.

Success Tips for Cooling Off Walks

• Keep loved ones in the loop. If we are angry and storm out of the house, there may be questions about whether we’re actually going to come back. To avoid this miscommunication and alleviate the worried calls or texts, get in front of the situation. I will typically do this via text or a note if I cannot tell my family directly.
• Keep the location familiar. When we’re angry, we don’t think straight. So, don’t go to an unfamiliar place and get yourself lost. This will increase your frustration.
• Take the headphones. If you don’t want to talk to anyone on your angry walk, take headphones, preferably large and visible ones. These will serve as “people-blockers,” so you don’t need to have conversations along the way.
• Stay off your phone (but take it with you). Avoid calling, texting, or posting on social media when you’re feeling angry and frustrated. We don’t want to add any more fuel to the emotional fire. I recommend taking the phone for safety purposes, but stay off of it unless you really need to!

Anxiety Walk

Walking is one of the best ways that I’ve found to relieve my anxiety. When I was sorting out my worries and emotions about my cancer diagnosis, I went out for walks regularly. Anxiety walks can be done alone or with someone. It really depends on what you need at the moment.

Success Tips for Anxiety Walks

• Bring tissues. When I’m feeling anxious and worried, sometimes I start to cry. So, I always make sure to have some tissues in my pocket.
• Talking is optional. Sometimes I want to talk about what’s bothering me with Dave, and other times I’m happy to have him there with me as silent support. Do what works for you.
• Allow the scenery to inspire you. While I was going through my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I watched the leaves on the trees transform in the fall. I took peace and comfort in the transition and used that visual to inspire me during my recovery. As the leaves were beginning to sprout in the spring, I too was recovering.
• Go to your favorite place. When I was growing up, I had a beach I would walk to when I felt emotional and anxious. The familiarity of the location helped me to calm down.
• Keep the pace slow. My anxiety walks tend to be slower than my other walks. This pace helped me focus on my emotions rather than getting out of breath.
• Don’t get anxious if you’re still feeling anxious. Stressing out because the anxiety walk isn’t working will undo the point of the walk. Sometimes the benefits of the anxiety walk will be felt after you’re done. It takes time to unwind the anxiety, so be patient with yourself.

So, what kind of a walk will you head out for today? I hope that these specialized walks can inspire you for the next walk you go on!