Hi, my name is Mr. Heartland on FIRE, and I love long walks on the beach. Pretty corny, I know…. But seriously. I love walking. The beach is preferred, but totally optional.
Lifestyle optimization is a powerful tool on the path to Financial Independence (FI) . It means to focus your life’s resources (time, money, etc.) doing things you love, while trying to cut out those things you don’t.
For me, walking is one of the activities I’ve been working to incorporate more of into my life. Let me tell you why.
Getting Physical
The vast majority of my work day consists of sitting in front of a computer and answering emails and taking phone calls. My job does not lend itself well to being active. Walking is a great way for me to get some physical activity into my day.
There is zero barrier to entry. No gym fees and no commute needed. All I need to do is step out my front door and start moving. No excuses.
Plus when I take my pup with me for her daily walk, she gets the benefit too. It’s a twofer!
Get Outside
Similar to the first point, I love being outside. My job gives me the occasional outdoor adventure, but mostly, I’m buried in cubeville. I’ve had the privilege of hiking Muir Woods and a few trails in Rocky Mountain National Park this year, and let me tell you, there are few things I enjoy more.
But the scenery doesn’t have to be as exotic as those locales. Simply getting out into my neighborhood gives me a taste of the outdoors. I like to take my dog for early morning walks before everybody is up and driving to work. It’s surprising what I’ve encountered. Several deer, owls, a raccoon last week, and more types of birds than I ever knew lived around here.
Take a Mental Break
Without a doubt my favorite reason for walking is the mental benefit. All day long I am faced with endless emails and not one, but 2 phones that are ringing and buzzing. Something is constantly demanding my attention. It can be mentally exhausting. My brain can only take so much before it fries. So I place a premium on finding a way to get some time away from the distractions.
This is why I’ve made a morning walk the absolute first thing I do every day. For roughly 30 minutes, the only thing I have to listen to is the birds chirping, the bugs buzzing, and the wind rustling the tree branches. Instead of staring at computer screens I can star gaze (I saw a shooting star this morning!), or notice flowers and wildlife in the neighborhood.
Let’s not leave my nose out of this sensory experience. The cube farm is a sterile environment, only briefly punctuated by someone burning some toast in the breakroom, or on rare occasion immolating a bag of instant popcorn. (that is a special kind of stink).
When I am walking I pick up scents of flowering plants in the spring and summer, and bonfires and fireplaces in the fall. It seems to me that a familiar smell will queue up memories better than sights or sounds. Just another way that walking can pull your mind away of the frantic daily pace.
Get My Brain Rolling
Some days it just feels like I am mentally stuck. Like I can’t think things through, and even small tasks become unnecessarily challenging. A perfect example is trying to come up with a blog post topic. There are days when I feel I can’t come up with any good ideas. (avid readers might point out that I still haven’t yet!)
When I run into this issue, I’ve found the most effective way to get out of this funk is to Go Take a Hike! There is just something about getting moving that is akin to push starting a car down the hill. Within a few minutes of walking it seems my brain cells start waking up. Problems that seemed insurmountable minutes ago start to look more manageable.
It’s not just me: A Stanford study concluded that a person’s creative output increased by 60% when walking!
Let’s Get Talking
I’ve also noticed that when I walk with my wife, we are both more apt to have a meaningful conversation. Similarly, I find it easier to discuss issues with clients at work when we are walking the job site. My thought is the combination of reducing distractions and activating your brain cells is responsible for this. I’ve also noticed similar results when my wife and I are both working on something together, like cooking a meal, cleaning, etc.
At the end of the day, walking checks an amazing amount of boxes for me. It’s physically and mentally healthy, it helps me hold a conversation with others, and I just flat enjoy it, which makes is sustainable. Not to mention it’s free! So, do you feel the same about walking? Are there any other activities that you find with similar benefits?
Thanks for reading!
