[dkersten]

I agree completely.

I used to listen to music and stuff a lot while walking or even commuting but a few years ago I decided to give up on most idle listening, preferring to listen to music or podcasts with intent now: eg to enjoy some music, not just passively.

I used to walk a lot (I still walk a good bit but because I work from home I don’t walk to work each day anymore) and I found the quiet time to be the best time to come up with solutions to problems, to reflect on my life or day, to just wind down and switch off, to enjoy nature (when I walk to walk, as opposed to walking to reaching a destination, I typically walk along a river near my home). I think we are overstimulated far far too much and some quiet time and boredom is good for the brain and certainly it’s good for creativity.

[lupire]

> > process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs

> I agree completely.

> preferring to listen to music or podcasts with intent now: eg to enjoy some music, not just passively.

That's the opposite of what parent suggested.

[stevesearer]

How I read what they wrote is that instead of mindlessly listening to anything just to listen to something as the default, they prefer to instead be selective if they decide to listen to something.

[dkersten]

Sibling comment is correct. What I meant is I don’t listen to music/podcasts by default: when I walk, I walk in silence. I don’t use audio as background noise.

Instead, when I listen to music, it’s usually by sitting down deliberately to exclusively listen to music. The music isn’t idle background noise but rather the point of that activity. I enjoy music a lot more now, I find.

In general I try to have silence where in the past I would have had audio playing in the background. So definitely while walking but also while working (since I’m working from home and don’t need to drown out office noises).

[stevesearer]

When you set out do you have a mental agenda or do you find that your mind gravitates toward worthwhile topics once you're walking?

I'm more a mind wanderer, though for a season I tried to mentally prepare myself for the transition from being at a controlled work environment to walking into a house with two young kids at the end of the day.

[dkersten]

Unless there’s something specific on my mind beforehand (eg I’m trying to solve a problem I’m working on or having), no, my goal is generally not to purposefully think about anything and let my mind wander instead. I found often my best thoughts come in their own, when I’m not actively trying to think them.