Solvitur ambulando.
I saw that phrase for the second time in my life last Friday as I was reading one of the weekly newsletters that shows up in my Inbox.
It’s a simply, yet significant phrase that I thought I’d pass along for two reasons: First, because it’s a useful addition to last week’s tip in which I suggested intentionally being grateful for your problems. And, second, because I can easily segue into giving you a heads-up about two upcoming related and fun opportunities to practice what it suggests.
So, what does it mean? Solvitur ambulando is a Latin phrase that translates as “it is solved by walking”.
A simple web search will provide more information about its historical and philosophical roots, and I’ve written a few times in the past about the mental health benefits of simply moving:
- How spending time outside improves health
- When in doubt, move your body
- Feeling anxious or depressed? Walking may help
So I won’t rehash here what’s already been said.
What I will say instead is that I’ve personally found the idea of “it is solved by walking” to be both practical and true.
Walking outside in nature is generally the best option. But I’ve found circling the living room or gym or walking through the neighborhood (at home or the gym) whenever I feel “stuck” to also be effective at producing a sense of emotional separation from my problems, even when I’m still thinking through them while walking.
Of course, the act of walking doesn’t itself solve any problems—unless the problem is insufficient zone 2 cardio.
However, the mental relaxation that occurs when walking has been scientifically shown to elicit creativity. That creativity, along with the sense of emotional separation I mentioned above, is what makes it easier to develop solutions to the problem(s) we’re grappling or to decide upon the best among multiple courses of action.
Putting it into practice
So the next time you find yourself struggling with some mental challenge—whether it’s a “big” work or relationship problem or a “small” challenge like opting for frozen pizza over cooking a healthy dinner—consider going for a five-minute walk (or longer).
No matter how long you go, make sure to leave your smartphone behind. The point is giving your mind the space to disconnect instead of a distraction from the discomfort caused by the problem.
If you do that, I can almost guarantee you’ll return from the walk with at least a slightly different perspective—and quite possibly a solution.
Last but not least, if you’d like to practice solvitur ambulando‘ing with some friends, the TNT Hiking Club will be doing a night hike on December 14th and a New Year’s Day hike on January 1st.
We’ll chat about fun stuff as opposed to problems—but there will certainly also be plenty of quiet time for each of us to get lost in our thoughts!