Following in Steve Jobs' Footsteps

In the last letter, you learned that daily walks are a great way to consolidate new wisdom. But according to researchers at Stanford, that’s not all walking is good for.

One study compared a group of people who sat in a chair for a while against a group that went for a walk. The walking group scored much higher on lab tests measuring creativity. This explains why Steve Jobs was known for having ‘walking meetings’ with his co-workers instead of sitting in a conference room.

A different Stanford study, seeking to learn more about the benefits of walking, compared participants who went for a walk through nature with participants who strolled along a busy street.

After looking at brain scans before and after each walk, the researchers found that walking in nature quells the thoughts and brain activity associated with rumination and depression, while walking by a street had no effect.

Perhaps this is why Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook followed in Steve Jobs’ footsteps and holds his own ‘walking meetings’ through Facebook’s plant filled terraces.

Just take a look at Facebook’s headquarters.

Inspiring right? So next time you’re looking for a creativity boost, or find your mind clouded by stressful or negative thoughts, go for a walk in nature if you can.