According to Nobel Prize winner and author Daniel Kahneman “thinking is to humans as swimming is to cats. They can do it, but they’d prefer not to.”
Walking on the other hand is a different kettle of cats altogether.
While thinking might make us howl in protest, walking is the magical cure for all creative blocks. Walking gives your mind legs, so next time you're in a rut, get outside and reap the positive effects of putting one foot in front of the other.
Don't just take my word for it. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that “All great thoughts are conceived by walking." A study from Stanford found that 'walking opens up the free flow of ideas" and a Psychology Today report found a 60% increase in creative output when participants walked compared to sitting. This boost in creativity extends after the act of walking itself, with individuals maintaining heightened creativity even after sitting down to watch Cash in the Attic.
Wait, there's more.
According to Colombia University walking with someone else has the added benefit of 'motor synchrony.' A fancy term that suggests walking together aligns rhythms and gestures which enhances collaborative problem-solving abilities. In other words, when two people move together, their brains synchronise, improving communication and the free flow of ideas.
Next time you find yourself stuck in the creative mud, do what Tchaikovsky, Einstein and Steve Jobs did, lace up, grab a friend, a colleague or countryman and let the pavement do its magic.
After all, a good walk may not solve everything, but it sure beats staring at a screen hoping for some form of algorithmic intervention. Or even worse, another Zoom call.