Sometimes the best things in life really are free. New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink says, “If you want a better brain, mood, and ideas, do one thing: take a walk.”
Pink explains why walking is so beneficial:
Walking increases blood flow to the hippocampus, the memory center, and can actually expand the hippocampus over time. Walking improves synaptic function and stimulates the birth of new brain cells. It triggers endorphins, lifting mood. It lowers stress and anxiety, and it reliably boosts creative thinking, especially when you’re stuck.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your brain and your business is to step away from the laptop and go move your body.
Convincing entrepreneurs to step away, even for a short time, is something I have had to work on with so many clients. It is counter intuitive. They think that forcing themselves to sit there and work more is the answer – but it usually isn’t. Even if they can do their work, the quality may not be good, and their speed may be slow.
A change of scenery is actually what they need.
You may think that you don’t have the time to take a walk and that you are already behind. That may be true, but most people come back from a walk refreshed and then the work goes much faster. The time you took away from the work actually saves you time overall. How crazy is that?
Walking is my go-to activity when I am noodling on a topic for this blog. A short walk around my neighborhood, or a slightly longer loop through a nearby park, usually helps me get clear, and by the time I come back to my laptop, the words just fly out.
It’s actually kind of amazing.
Pink isn’t the only advocate for walking. Organizational psychologist and New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant agrees. He says on LinkedIn:
Do you need to step away from your laptop and take a walk? It might be the perfect thing to do to get that project back on track.
Photo by Reinhart Julian on Unsplash
