How to make time for walking when you’re short on leisure time

Last week, I wrote about why taking a leisure walk can work wonders for our recovery and productivity.

It enables mental detachment from work. It provides relaxation because it calms us down. And it triggers unconscious thought on things that are complex, interesting, or important to us.

In his excellent book “Deep Work”, Cal Newport shares three simple tips that help you get all these benefits: Go for long walks, preferably somewhere scenic; Take your walk alone; Don’t bring your phone (if that’s not an option, put it at the bottom of your backpack).

However, the most challenging part of regular leisure walks is making time. Drawing upon his own experience as a busy professor, writer and father, Newport offers three ideas for pulling that off.

First, leisure walks are a great way to start or end your workday. Before work, the calm you get from walking will help you handle stress throughout your day. After work, it will support your effort to call it a day and transition into the evening. If you're commuting, walk a part of the way – by getting on or off the tram or car at a nice walking distance from your office, say. If you're working from home, have a walk around the block to start or end your day.

Second, talk to your partner or family about your motivation for taking leisure walks. Tell them about how it helps you relax and develop creative ideas to improve your private and professional life. And send them my post explaining the underlying science if they're skeptical ;-)

Third, broaden your definition of ”good weather”. A Scandinavian proverb says: “There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” So if you dress appropriately, you can enjoy the benefits of leisure walks even on cold, rainy, and snowy days.

According to Newport, making time for walking isn’t easy, but worth it: “These efforts are hard, but the rewards are big. I’m quite simply happier and more productive – by noticeably large factors – when I’m walking regularly.”

Here’s a challenge for you: Just once over the next three days, go for a long leisure walk – in a park, for example. Take that walk alone, don’t bring your phone, and see what happens.

If you liked this post, please share it with others:

Until next week,
Christian