Well, Camosun students, it’s that time of year: crunch time for the winter semester.
I don’t know about you, but for me, this semester has flown by. It almost feels like I blinked and suddenly I have three papers and four exams due next week and countless quizzes on the horizon.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed during times like this, which is where this week’s topic—taking a walk—comes into play.
Walking is a revitalizing activity that is, without a doubt, worth the time it costs. I’m not going to dive too deep into the physical benefits but just know that walking is a fantastic form of cardio that’s low impact on your joints and fantastic for your heart.
Walking has also been found to reduce feelings of time pressure—perfect if you are stressing about that 11:59 D2L deadline like I often do.
Walking also really gets the creative juices flowing. Whenever I find myself struggling with ideas for a paper (or this column, for that matter), I leave my phone at home and head into Mount Doug Park for a little stroll. Without fail, I return to my computer refreshed and with a head full of ideas.
Don’t just take my word for it: some of the greatest minds in history were known to utilize walking as a strategy for decluttering their mind and coming up with new, groundbreaking ideas.
The great American writer Henry David Thoreau once said that “the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” Legendary theoretical physicist Albert Einstein was known to take lengthy walks through the grounds of Princeton University while refining his theories. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote that “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
If it was good enough for Thoreau, Einstein, and Nietzsche, I think it’s good enough for us.
This upcoming finals season, if you find yourself lacking inspiration or stressing over deadlines, I urge you to close your computer for a bit and take a walk.