{"id":527683,"date":"2026-07-06T10:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T10:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/527683\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T10:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T10:18:16","slug":"walking-tips-how-walking-without-headphones-makes-the-experience-so-much-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/527683\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking tips: How walking without headphones makes the experience so much better"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the easiest and most affordable way to get active<\/a> and boost our mood \u2013 putting one foot in front of the other by simply stepping outside the front door has huge benefits even if it\u2019s just for a few minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And while this simple activity is already doing wonders for our physical and mental health, there\u2019s one simple thing you can do to make it even more effective: leaving your headphones or ear pods at home.<\/p>\n

\"woman<\/p>\n

Walking without listening to anything on headphones became a social media trend known as ‘silent walking’ a couple of years ago, but many of us have always done it.\u00a0iStockphoto<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what I\u2019ve been doing for decades and I know how much it enhances a walk because when I tried listening to music or a podcast while walking it took away what I enjoy most about and need from a walk. <\/p>\n

Wearing headphones is also dangerous, and I know that from experience. The one time I tried listening to something while walking, I felt like I was constantly turning my head to watch out for cars that I couldn\u2019t hear \u2013 it was stressful.<\/p>\n

These days I live closer to shared pathways and thinking about wearing headphones there, I\u2019d be scared of not hearing cyclists whizz past me at high-speeds \u2013 especially now with so many E-bikes<\/a> around. That\u2019s not to mention the risks of being attacked when you are unable to hear someone coming \u2013 even though this shouldn\u2019t be a factor, it just is.<\/p>\n

Listening to something affects your concentration, spatial awareness and means you have one less sense keeping you safe.<\/p>\n

Without headphones, I can be more relaxed as I don\u2019t have anything affecting my awareness and alertness. But more than that, I feel present and not separate from the outside environment, listening to something while walking makes me feel like I\u2019m in a bubble.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to me to soak up the sights and sounds around me as I walk because it makes the walk more enjoyable. It also clears my mind and helps work out any frustrations.<\/p>\n

Psychology lecturer Dr Nikki-Anne Wilson from the University of Sydney told nine.com.au walking without listening to something on our headphones can be helpful for our mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that part of the benefits of walking comes from connecting with our environment. We\u2019re more likely to engage in that mindful practice of noticing where we are, hearing the sounds around us and directing our attention outside ourselves when we\u2019re not experiencing simultaneous music or other input,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"woman<\/p>\n

When I can hear the birds and the rustling of the trees a walk feels extra special and calming.\u00a0iStockphoto<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re finding more and more that those sorts of practices [such as] mindfulness<\/a> and awe, are good for our mental health. For example, there\u2019s now emerging research to suggest that connecting to something bigger than ourselves, whether that be through nature and noticing the world around us \u2026 or whether that comes from some other sense of community, can be really beneficial for our mental well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d rather hear the waves crash on the beach than listen to something I can hear anywhere else. And I love hearing birds as I walk \u2013 yes, I\u2019ve become one of those people. It\u2019s incredibly relaxing and can be quite special when you hear one you don\u2019t often hear at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are also details to enjoy, even walking around the neighbourhood, from the colours of a camellia to the shape of clouds and the different shades of a sunset.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The extra stimulation of music or other audio means you\u2019re distracted from these natural wonders. It\u2019s also another dose of stimulation after a day of staring at screens \u2013 the space walking without headphones allows is so important for the brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think giving ourselves that space to process our thoughts is something of a privilege these days in many ways. When we stop processing external stimuli, then our brains have more chance to mind wander,\u201d Wilson says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMind wandering means that we\u2019re engaging those parts of our brain where we\u2019re processing those internal thoughts and that can be really beneficial for our well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s when we can get our best ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncreasing the opportunity for mind wandering and allowing that space for our brain to wander, that can definitely increase creativity and help us problem-solve. I think we\u2019ve all probably experienced that phenomenon of where we are trying to solve a problem, and we just can\u2019t find the solution,\u201d Wilson says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if we walk away and leave it, then we suddenly think of that solution, and we\u2019re able to think of the answers more clearly and then solve the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not wearing headphones and listening to anything is helpful for me, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not helpful for others. It might be that the outside world is too stimulating or your favourite podcast motivates you to get moving and, for some, the beat of the music helps with pace and motivation.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Some people need to listen to something on a walk and that’s OK – it’s about what works for you.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

So, give both options a try and see what helps you achieve whatever aims you have when you\u2019re walking.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019ve never walked without listening to something try leaving your headphones at home next time and see if it feels just that little bit better when you can hear the birds and notice all the colours of the sunset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the easiest and most affordable way to get active and boost our mood \u2013 putting one foot…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[589,163,85,46],"class_list":["post-527683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/527684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}