Walk to Work for Wonderful Productivity
When I moved back to the East Coast for a while after living in California, I discovered I had Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter. I got a special lamp and plugged it in at my desk to imitate the sunshine I was no longer getting, between driving to and from work in the dark and all the clouds and precipitation that coexist in an East Coast winter.
I was living and working in the suburbs of DC, but I didn’t like how little there was to do when I got home. I moved to the District and did a reverse commute to Northern Virginia for work and back to the city for home.
DC is one of the few places in the US that has a decent public transportation system (though Metro currently has some significant problems!) My place in Southwest was close to a Metro station, so I could have boarded right by my apartment and then changed to the line that ran out near my office.
But ugh, it was so crowded at that station! Also, the station where I would have changed trains is also very busy at rush hour.
I had a similar experience when I lived in New York City and lived near Penn Station. In theory, I could have ridden the subway from there to my office in Midtown. But ugh, it’s SO crowded at Penn Station during rush hour!
Fortunately, there was an easy solution for both problems: walk to a different station that’s less crowded and get on there. (When I lived in New York, I usually walked to the office anyway. But when the weather was very bad, I had to take the subway.)
Why walking for at least part of the commute is awesome
There were a lot of benefits to my walk and Metro commute. I walked for about 10-15 minutes to an uncrowded station to take the Silver Line out to the Reston station. Then it was another 10-15 minute walk from the Metro to the office. Doing that twice a day meant 40 minutes to an hour of walking each day. No need for the treadmill!
It also got me out in the sunshine (when clouds weren’t blocking everything) so I didn’t need my little lamp anymore. And since I was doing a reverse commute, the sidewalks weren’t very crowded and sometimes I’d see some cute little critters on the path.
If you’ve ever worked a stressful job (and really, who hasn’t?) then you know how much decompression time you need after work. With a walking commute, you get plenty of that time. By the time you’re home, you’re pretty much relaxed and ready to get into your nighttime activities, whatever those might be.
It’s also a great de-stressor before you walk in the door of the office. One time it had snowed, so I had to climb up a little snow hill at the end of the parking lot to get on the path. I fell, and it didn’t even hurt because the snow acted as a giant cushion. I just laughed and kept walking.
Walking makes you more productive
To be fair, pretty much any kind of exercise will do that. Productivity is dependent on your brain working at optimal capacity, and to do that it needs oxygenated blood. That doesn’t come in a pill, by the way - you get that from moving your ass, and only by moving.
Many people find they get lots of creative ideas when walking. (I am one of the many myself.) You don’t have to concentrate very hard on what you’re doing, which frees your mind up. Also, you’re not in front of screens (if you’re doing it right) so you have plenty of time for your brain to make connections it might not ordinarily, which is the essence of creativity.
It’s movement that’s easy to do for a lot of people. While not everyone can walk, because there are disability or mobility issues for some, it’s one of the more accessible types of exercise. You need a good pair of shoes and that’s pretty much it.
When I lived in NYC, I used to walk and wear my heels to work, about a mile and a half to two miles each way. Uh, don’t do that. My feet are now completely dependent on either arch support shoes or orthotics. Since I also have Fred Flintstone feet, there are approximately four brands of shoe I can wear, and only one of those is US-based.
Walk to work to be more productive at work
While a walking commute is easiest for those who either live near work or have good public transportation between home and work, it’s something worth trying.
And for those of us who work at home, even easier! I walk pretty much every day before I start my day, whether it’s a weekday or a weekend. I do a little walking loop around the neighborhood, or I go to the beach (not to brag or anything…) It gets me ready for the day, gets me out in the sunshine, and helps blood flow to my brain.
April 5 is National Walk To Work Day - so if you haven’t done it before, what if you tried it for 2024?
Recap (tl;dr)
I incorporated walking into my commute and found it made me more productive and less affected by SAD. Walking is accessible to many people, and National Walk to Work Day is a great way to try it if you haven’t ever done it or it’s been a while.
If you’re having trouble with productivity in the workplace, I can help. Schedule a free consultation here to see if we’re a good fit to work together.