Move Your Body, Unlock Your Mind
As a coach with clients around the world and in my hometown of New Orleans, I found myself increasingly restless with back-to-back Zoom sessions, staring at my computer screen all day. My own Turbo Thinker brain craved variety, movement, and fresh perspectives. The solution came unexpectedly during one of my walks through City Park with my friend Melissa, who mentioned how walking discussions with her therapy clients often led to breakthroughs. I experienced an immediate a-ha moment. What if I could introduce variety into my day while offering a unique service to my clients?
Movement That Medicates Naturally
Physical movement while walking helps activate the brain's attention systems. When walking, the brain releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine – the same chemicals that ADHD medications target. This natural boost helps improve focus, working memory, and cognitive processing.
Walking provides consistent physical stimulation that helps satisfy a Turbo Thinker's need for movement without it becoming a distraction. When sitting, we often feel compelled to fidget, bounce our legs, or shift positions, which can sometimes interfere with concentration. Walking channels this energy productively.
The rhythmic nature of walking also helps regulate arousal levels and reduces anxiety that can accompany focused conversations. The bilateral stimulation (left-right movement) has a calming effect similar to EMDR therapy techniques.
Being in motion, especially outdoors, reduces the intensity of direct eye contact and social pressure that some of us may find overwhelming in traditional face-to-face seated conversations. This makes it easier to express thoughts freely.
The Added Magic of Water
It has been almost two years since I moved to the historic Bayou St. John neighborhood in New Orleans. I live along what was once called Bayouk Choupik by the indigenous people of my city, on a ridge that served as the portage from Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. Besides the rich history of this area, what I treasure most is daily access to this waterway and its magnificent centenarian oak trees surrounded by Louisiana wildlife.
Walking alongside water offers additional benefits that transform how Turbo Thinkers function:
Water environments naturally activate the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering what researchers call the "blue mind effect" – a meditative state characterized by calm, reduced stress hormones, and improved mental clarity.
The gentle, repetitive sensory input from water – visual patterns, sounds, smells – provides "soft fascination" that holds attention without demanding cognitive effort.
Moving alongside water creates an atmosphere of psychological safety and openness, as the expansiveness of water views has been shown to broaden thinking and increase comfort with vulnerability in conversations.
A Client Story
My client Ryan enjoys our walk-and-talk sessions as much as I do. He brings his dogs who join in (and who have, of course, signed confidentiality contracts and never share what's been spoken). One morning, he slept through his alarm and joined our session from home via Zoom instead.
It was a completely different experience for him. He realized that cognitively, he could not process his thoughts as easily or as quickly as during our outdoor walks along the water. He declared from that day forward to have our sessions walking along the water or not at all – no matter the weather. Rain or shine, bracing cold winds or melting heat and humidity, we continue our sessions along the water.
The slight variations in the Bayou's movement, the seasonal changes in foliage, and the waterfowl – from majestic great blue herons to squabbling mallards and the occasional pelican diving for mullet – provide just enough stimulation and interest to focus our thoughts and attention. Canadian geese sometimes honk overhead in perfect V-formations, while purple and yellow irises bloom along the banks where cautious nutria might be spotted nibbling in the reeds.
Even when we must address painful emotional challenges, it seems that as we move our bodies along the water, we can move through those emotions more effectively. The movement invigorates both body and brain so that more possibilities appear out of nowhere. Brainstorming happens with ease, and the "aha" moments arrive sooner.
By the time we return to my office, we can sit on the front porch overlooking my garden with its climbing roses, crimson azaleas, and fragrant satsuma blossoms.There, we take notes on key takeaways and action items with step-by-step ideas to move forward. We have a glass of water, the dogs lap from their bowl, and a new day has begun – with clearer minds and lighter hearts.
Walking Together, Even Apart
Not all my clients live in New Orleans. My client Sofia travels frequently for work, yet we maintain our walk-and-talk sessions virtually. We've connected while she explored New York, strolled in Miami, and hiked in Los Angeles. The benefits of movement remain, even when we're thousands of miles apart. As in all walk and talk sessions, she sets the pace and the desired outcome.
Questions to Walk With
What would change for you if your next important conversation happened in motion rather than sitting still?
How might your thinking patterns shift if you introduced gentle, natural stimulation like water or greenery into your problem-solving process?
What one walking route near your home or office might offer the right balance of interest and calm to support your Turbo Thinker brain?
When was the last time you noticed your body helping your mind, rather than fighting against it?
Ready to experience the transformative power of walk-and-talk coaching? Let's take that first step together – literally and figuratively. Your path to clearer thinking might just begin with a single step.