MindComet

Mental Walks

I have an odd habit that I break out when I am having a difficult time falling asleep and wanted to know if anyone else does this…. I take a mental walk.  Specifically, I “walk” around one of my old neighborhoods, Camden, SC to be specific.  I start from where my house used to be (it’s still there, I am not) and walk down the street, on to the “secret street” than loop back around.  I used to take that walk every night when my son was a baby, pushing the stroller or pulling the wagon.  I miss those walks and mentally retracing those steps makes me feel grounded and centered.  According to a study out of University College London, we’re starting to rely too much on devices to help us navigate, which may reduce cell growth in the hippocampus (which is where we believe our mental maps are stored).  Devices are changing the way we think.  I hope that my quirky habit of walking around my old neighborhood helps strengthen my hippocampus.  I guess only time will tell.

View Comments

Posted by Jennifer Carey on May. 28, 2009