The Benefits of Walking Without Headphones
Walking is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to get active and improve our mood. All it takes is putting one foot in front of the other and stepping outside the front door, which can have huge benefits even if it’s just for a few minutes. While walking already offers numerous physical and mental health advantages, there is one simple change you can make to enhance its effectiveness: leaving your headphones or ear pods at home.
For many years, I have chosen to walk without any audio input, and I’ve found that it significantly enhances my experience. When I used to listen to music or podcasts while walking, it took away the joy and the sense of connection I truly value from a walk. Additionally, wearing headphones can be dangerous. I remember one time when I tried listening to something while walking, and I felt like I was constantly turning my head to watch out for cars that I couldn’t hear. It was stressful and made me feel unsafe.
These days, I live closer to shared pathways, and thinking about wearing headphones in such areas makes me anxious. I’m worried about not hearing cyclists zooming past me at high speeds, especially with so many e-bikes around. Not to mention the risk of being attacked when I can’t hear someone approaching—while this shouldn’t be a concern, it still is. Listening to something while walking affects your concentration, spatial awareness, and reduces one of your senses that helps keep you safe.
Without headphones, I feel more relaxed because I’m not distracted by anything that could affect my awareness and alertness. More importantly, I feel present and connected to the outside environment. Listening to something while walking makes me feel like I’m in a bubble, disconnected from the world around me.
It’s important for me to soak up the sights and sounds as I walk because it makes the experience more enjoyable. It also helps clear my mind and work through any frustrations I might have. According to Dr Nikki-Anne Wilson, a psychology lecturer from the University of Sydney, walking without headphones can be beneficial for mental health.
She explains, “Part of the benefits of walking comes from connecting with our environment. We’re 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’re not experiencing simultaneous music or other input.”
Dr Wilson adds, “We’re finding more and more that practices like mindfulness and awe are good for our mental health. For example, there’s now emerging research to suggest that connecting to something bigger than ourselves, whether that be through nature and noticing the world around us or through a sense of community, can be really beneficial for our well-being.”
I prefer to hear the waves crashing on the beach rather than listen to something I can hear anywhere else. I also love hearing birds as I walk—I’ve become one of those people who finds it incredibly relaxing and special when I hear a bird I don’t often hear at home. There are also details to enjoy, even when walking around the neighborhood, from the colors of a camellia to the shape of clouds and the different shades of a sunset.
The extra stimulation from music or other audio means you’re distracted from these natural wonders. It’s also another dose of stimulation after a day of staring at screens. The space that walking without headphones allows is so important for the brain.
Dr Wilson says, “Giving ourselves that space to process our thoughts is something of a privilege these days. When we stop processing external stimuli, then our brains have more chance to mind wander.” Mind wandering means that we’re engaging those parts of our brain where we’re processing internal thoughts, which can be really beneficial for our well-being.
And that’s when we can get our best ideas. “Increasing the opportunity for mind wandering and allowing that space for our brain to wander can definitely increase creativity and help us problem-solve,” Dr Wilson says. “I think we’ve all probably experienced that phenomenon where we are trying to solve a problem, and we just can’t find the solution. But if we walk away and leave it, then we suddenly think of that solution and are able to think of the answers more clearly and solve the problem.”
Not wearing headphones and listening to anything is helpful for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not helpful for others. It might be that the outside world is too stimulating, or your favorite podcast motivates you to get moving. For some, the beat of the music helps with pace and motivation.
So, give both options a try and see what helps you achieve whatever aims you have when you’re walking. But if you’ve never walked without listening to something, try leaving your headphones at home next time and see if it feels just a little bit better when you can hear the birds and notice all the colors of the sunset.
