I like to walk when I think, but this frequently leads to distractions. What to do?

January 4, 2007 5:44 PM

I like to walk when I think, but this activity frequently leads to distractions. What to do?

Whenever a new idea or revelation strikes me, I get the impulse to go for a little stroll. Moving seems to stimulate my brain and lead to fresh mindstorms. However, I am an easy to distract person and walking about frequently leads to a lengthy diversion. Also, I get strange looks at work when I go for aimless jaunts through the cubicles, or get drawn into pointless conversations with colleagues. How can I scratch my locomotory itch (and presumably give my mind the stimulation it seemingly gets from my body's motility) without actually walking about?

posted by sid to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Walking while thinking is very, very common. Light exercise seems to help lubricate the brain in many people, myself included.

One thought that comes to mind, and if you're in a thinking-heavy outfit, it might even work.... choose a particular piece of clothing or a button or something as a signal that you're thinking, not looking for a conversation. The obvious choice, of course, would be a hat. When the thinking cap is on, people aren't supposed to bug you.

I have no idea if the politics of your place will easily allow this, but if you make the clothing item sufficiently ridiculous, nobody will want to talk to you.... :)
posted by Malor at 5:51 PM on January 4, 2007

I get strange looks at work when I go for aimless jaunts through the cubicles, or get drawn into pointless conversations with colleagues.

Can you walk someplace more private, like up and down a deserted hallway?...

How can I scratch my locomotory itch (and presumably give my mind the stimulation it seemingly gets from my body's motility) without actually walking about?

How about doodling at your desk, or playing with a Rubik's Cube type of toy, or shooting paper "basketballs" into your trash can? It gives your fingers/hands something to do while you're brain is busy thinking.
posted by amyms at 5:51 PM on January 4, 2007

Does your workplace have a treadmill or stair-stepper machine?
posted by -harlequin- at 6:01 PM on January 4, 2007

Can you walk someplace more private, like up and down a deserted hallway?...

Or up and down stairs in a stairwell, if such exists in the building? Bonus points if there's an elevator nearby that people tend to use instead.
posted by sleeplessunderwater at 6:33 PM on January 4, 2007

When I'm at work and need to walk and think, I go downstairs and walk around the block a few times.
posted by trip and a half at 7:31 PM on January 4, 2007

If you can't give a confident, but friendly "I'm thinking of something, I'll talk to you later." brush-off on your own, consider using a prop. Grab some papers off of your desk. People with print-outs are almost always headed to show them to somebody, thus implying that you are in a hurry.

Oh, and lobby for a small office gym with a treadmill and an elliptical.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 8:21 PM on January 4, 2007

(also: consider walking out to the far edge of the parking lot and back. anybody who sees you will assume you're getting something from your car.)

(or the really terrible idea: take up smoking.)
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 8:23 PM on January 4, 2007

1. Get a cheap headset or dangling mike.*
2. Practice thinking out loud, complete with self-important gestures.
3. When inspiration strikes, pretend you're in the middle of a cell conversation.**
*Tuck loose end out of sight.
**If you carry an actual cell, set to vibrate.
posted by rob511 at 8:33 PM on January 4, 2007

I second the walking with papers or pad of paper. It always worked for me. That or an empty coffee cup.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 9:14 PM on January 4, 2007

Good to know I'm not the only one who does this. Sometimes, I wish I could reserve a conference room just so I can have a place to pace back and forth in peace.

I find that doing a circuit around the entire building is nice, as it allows me to do a lot of walking without passing the same people twice... and, for that matter, if the route is long enough, I could probably do it multiple times without anyone noticing. If you're worried about people bugging you, the paper trick works well. So does walking at a brisk pace... although, the faster you walk, the less time you have to think, I suppose.
posted by jal0021 at 11:10 PM on January 4, 2007

Wear headphones.
posted by 10ch at 5:57 AM on January 5, 2007

Thanks folks! Some great suggestions here. I'm enamoured by the idea of walking up and down the stairwells. One added wrinkle that I forgot to mention is that I'm currently working for a consulting firm, and being seen as vaguely eccentric by clients might not be the best way to go.
posted by sid at 10:22 AM on January 5, 2007

hold your celphone while you wander. when coworkers begin to intrude on your privacy, smile sadly and point to the phone with a mouthed "sorry", then pretend to answer the imaginary person on the phone. give your imaginary contact a professionally-relevant variation on a mother-in-law personality; someone overly chatty who must be humoured, to make this ruse credible to outside viewers.
posted by twistofrhyme at 1:27 PM on January 5, 2007

Might also be helpful (and more honest) to use a stopwatch set to 10 minutes so that you have a specific amount of time with which to wander. If you know you have a 'deadline', you'll become less apt to waste some of it with distractions.
posted by softlord at 6:45 PM on January 5, 2007