Take a Hike!
As a dweeby pre-teen, “take a hike” meant to skedaddle. It often stung. Seeking acceptance from my older brother and his friends, the figurative expression of getting lost turned out to be good advice—literally. Taking a hike works wonders.
I’ve written extensively about the benefits of walking, running, and forest bathing. So if I sound like a broken record player, it’s because I am. Now, let’s explore a close cousin—hiking.
The most demanding hike I’ve done is the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu. I experienced a nasty bout of altitude sickness that did nothing but fog my thinking. To be clear, I’m not talking about this kind of feat, but the type of hikes where you can set off in the day and be back cozy in bed by nightfall.
If you’re a seasoned hiker, you probably won’t be surprised by much of the below. But if you’re a wannabe hiker like me, this might convince you to lace up those boots and hit the trails.
Optic Flow
On a hike, your eyes make constant lateral movements to update your brain on where you are in space. When you choose a path ahead, your brain surveys the surrounding environment, constructs a mental map of the world, settles on a way forward, and translates that plan into a sequence of footsteps. As your eyes move, the parts of your brain that process your response to threats become quiet. This is called optic flow.
Our ancestors might have scanned for dinosaurs or wild boars, but these days those threats are rare. If you’re agitated or frustrated—moving through the proverbial forest helps alleviate the stress. You shift gears from fight/flight into rest/digest.
The speed at which you hike influences the inner rhythm of your thoughts and emotions, and vice versa. So you can modulate your thinking by changing your pace.
Creative Incubation
The more we strive for creativity, the less likely we are to achieve it. Hiking stimulates what scientists call the imagination network. Comprised of meaning-making, mental stimulation, and perspective-taking, these networks work in tandem to help us make sense of the world. We can discern stories from truth, reflect on mental and emotional states, look into the past, and peer into the future.
When we take a hike, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen to all the organs, including the brain. Thanks to these physiological changes, creative problems can be unlocked. We reorganize concepts, make new connections, and enhance our mood. Stimulating the imagination network can help us spark our most deeply personal and creative ideas. To be sure, the idea for this blog came from the majestic Pico to Pico hike.
Hiking is a moving meditation that lets your mind soar. Your inner world quietens and the world around you opens up. Anxiety feeders like time scarcity and overwhelm begin to dissipate. You gain space to reflect, interrogate, and integrate. The subconscious mind gets activated, affording you a new lens through which to see the world, your ‘problems,’ and yourself in a new light.
You get more clarity on how best to direct your energy, and what and who is important. Perhaps the most profound relationship between hiking and creativity reveals itself at the end when you’re back doing the work.
Sufficient Bandwidth
When clients inquire why I like us both to take calls on the move (granted there is no full-on ‘hiking’ here), I find myself espousing the same logic:
Tech will be more in our favor without video eating up the bandwidth. No freezing, no blips, just the sound of a voice. Plus, we can be liberated from mirror neurons working overtime and forget about syncing to each other's breath and pupils.
There will be more psychological space, expansiveness, and room for possibility. Perspective shifts can occur more rapidly and there is more attunement for what’s emerging.
Rather ironically, moving helps anchor me. As a restless soul being on the move lets me regulate, integrate my learning, and listen more attentively. I’m often told this does the same for others.
Simply indulging in how mood follows action helps us change our state. Hiking is not just about physical exercise; it’s a mental and emotional reset. If you’ve been feeling stuck, take a hike! and you might find the answers you’re looking for :)