For all that I talk about all the podcasts I listen to, it may interest you to learn that there are certain settings where I don't listen to them, or to music, at all. The main ones are when I'm walking or when I'm exercising - whether that's running on the treadmill at the gym or out for one of my usual walks around the block.
In fact, I tried listening to a podcast on a walk recently. Mainly because Tim Ferriss's ads for Audible audiobooks suggested that he likes to listen to books on otherwise "wasted" time, i.e. when he's taking his dog for a walk or something. So I gave it a try, putting on one of his own podcasts while I did a circuit around the block.
And I hated it.
Part of it is that I'm not used to it. I don't like having to deal with the cable or the volume, and the damn earbuds keep falling out of my ears. But the other thing I didn't like about it was that instead of my usual deep thoughts (mainly replaying old conversations as I'd have liked them to go, or trying to figure out what I should be doing with my life), I was listening to Tim Ferriss and his guest.
That's why I listen to these podcasts, so it's not such a bad thing, but I do really appreciate my walks precisely because I'm not listening to anything else and I'm allowing my brain to spit ideas or whatever at me. I'm not getting any external stimulus, so I remember things I need to do, or make connections, or just practice whatever language I'm studying at the moment.
It's a similar thing when I'm running. If I'm on the treadmill, then it'll be a pain keeping the earbuds in, and ensuring that I don't drop my phone, that the volume isn't too loud because I'm trying to drown out the music at the gym, and so on. If I'm running outside, then I've got the additional worry of keeping the volume at a level where I can hear bikes or cars, or any other vehicles that can cut my run short.
But a lot of people I know insist on having music or podcasts when they work out. And a lot of people walking around, or on public transportation, are using it precisely to drown out the outside world. And here's where I think it gets unhealthy.
I understand that for women the headphones can be a way of signaling that they don't want to be bothered, and I respect that. But in general I think it's worrisome that we're so desperate to not engage with our surroundings, in situations where we're not necessarily expecting to be hit on or harassed.
In a way, I see it in a similar light to drug use, which is after all just a way to get out of our heads and get away from whatever problems we're experiencing. I already mentioned in a previous post how the messaging around alcohol and soft drugs, both in advertising and how we interact socially, emphasizes that you're supposed to use this stuff to disengage from your problems. But I think our minds need to be engaged from time to time, allowed to run free and turn up odd associations or ideas.
I suppose what I'm arguing for is boredom. When I was in London a friend made an interesting point about smartphones, which is that we're never bored anymore, because a smartphone provides instant gratification whenever you want it. You can dick around on the web, or on social media, or put on music or videos, or look for a sex partner, or play games, among a million different uses. You can even use your smartphone to increase mindfulness or meditate, which is just another way of quieting the mind, but it's a little ironic when you think about it.
My friend mentioned how when we were teenagers, there were just times when we were bored, and there was nothing to do about it. There were distractions, like TV or music, but if there wasn't anything to watch, or you were bored with your music collection, then you ended up spending a certain amount of time (especially on weekends, in my experience) lying around moaning about how bored you were.
Like everything, it's not such a bad thing, in moderation. And it's a good skill to be able to amuse yourself without a phone: I used to spend long training runs doing simple math in my head, just as a way to keep focused. I suppose that's a little weird, but why does it have to be? I wasn't doing differential equations, just figuring out how much of my run I was done with.
My impression is that people turn to drugs and smartphones because they're conditioned to be afraid of being alone with their thoughts. A different friend insists that she can't run on a treadmill because it'd be too boring. While not everybody responds to exercise the same way, it seems a lame excuse not to use a pretty handy piece of gym equipment.
I think it would be good if people embraced a little bit of boredom and spent a little time alone with their thoughts, whether while out walking or while exercising or something. I expect that the feeling of being rushed and overwhelmed comes from being constantly "on", constantly chasing self-improvement and using every waking moment "wisely".
Other people talk about screen less Saturdays or unplugging or something like that, but I find that for myself it's enough to have some parts of the day where I'm listening to my brain. Because if I only take in outside stimuli, then I don't get the chance to take stock of what I need to do, and then I really do feel overwhelmed.
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