Two Sylvias' Weekly Muse: November 13, 2022

Issue 29

Hello Poets and Writers!

We’ve written a few times in the Muse about the benefits of taking a walk outside when it comes to our creative lives—how the act of movement and being outdoors can stimulate new ideas for our writing and give us a sense of wellbeing. We always receive feedback from Muse readers confirming that taking walks is part of their writing and creative process.

We recently came across another interesting study about walking. The American Psychological Association published a paper in which the term “awe walk” appeared. What’s an awe walk? The researchers found that consciously paying attention to the small and interesting wonders around you during an ordinary walk has tremendous mental health benefits. In the study, people who paid close attention to the details around them as they strolled felt much more hopeful, upbeat, and less stressed than those who simply took their walks without taking note of the small wonders.

In the context of the study, “awe” is defined as the…