Shh, it’s time for a walk: The power of a ‘silent walk’

Tuning into a new episode of your favorite podcast or playing your new favorite song on repeat may sound like a great way to unwind when you take a stroll. But turning everything off in favor of a ‘silent walk’ could have some big mental health perks, too.

The ongoing noise from music and other media can be overwhelming and seemingly addictive. But always listening to something—sorry, Spotify, we do love you—can prevent you from connecting with nature, or yourself, in a meaningful way. It can obstruct you from being able to reflect on life while you walk, which is a good opportunity to process things.

Don’t give yourself too much guilt if you queue up your playlist while you walk, because for some people a good song or podcast—or even a call to catch up with your mom or bestie—could be just what you need to get moving.

That said, trying a silent walk could be a good alternative if you’re looking to break up your routine. Stride along in silence and notice what comes up.

Therapist Jennifer Covarrubias, LMFT, clinical director at the Mental Health Center of San Diego, who specializes in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, says silent walking is the perfect trend for Gen Z. That’s because a lot of the anxiety for Gen Zers comes from the fast-paced life they lead, which includes bombardment on social media.

Silent walking can allow these individuals to take time to reflect and pause to ultimately clear their mind, she said in a statement. But we’d argue that it’s helpful for millennials, too, especially overstimulated mamas. 

Social media is where a lot of people have praised silent walks, but people who swear by the latest walking trend have come under criticism for trying to reinvent, well, walking.

“I feel like when I walk in silence, my senses are on high alert. I smell everything, I hear everything, I am seeing everything, and it’s so grounding for me,” Arielle Lorre, a podcaster, shared on TikTok. 

You might consider silent walking a form of active meditation–fostering an awareness of your thoughts and encouraging mindfulness. 

Erin C. Westgate, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, found in a 2021 study that people report having positive thoughts when they’re moving—even if it’s in a vehicle.Walking “isn’t so demanding that it’s actually taking up a lot of your mental bandwidth,” Westgate told The New York Times, which “gives us permission and license to daydream.”