What is a walking meeting? Psychologists say it could be the future of productivity

Have you heard of a walking meeting? It turns out stepping away from desks and heading outside to discuss all things work could be the future. 

After the COVID-19 lockdown, more and more people began working from home full time. Many find this method to be rather productive for them, although others still prefer to go into the office and meet in person with coworkers.

Of course, work from home life has many obvious benefits - more flexibility, you can wear whatever you want, etc. - but what happens when you start to feel disconnected from your team members? Or, even if you are working in an office, do you feel as though you still aren't getting quality personal time with your coworkers in the way that you'd like?

Psychologists suggest that, if you feel this way, it may be time to put on your best walking socks and shoes - and get to walking. 

"When being creative or collaborative, consider switching to a walking meeting. This is the future of workplaces today and into tomorrow," Lorissa MacAllister, president and founder of Enviah, a consulting firm that focuses on design and wellness, told Psychology Today. 

So, instead of taking your meetings from your desk, offer to take them with your coworkers on a walk together if you're in person - and if you're virtual, ask them if you could switch to a phone call so you can both burn calories by walking and talking together at the same time. 

The American Psychological Association had previously conducted research saying that walking meetings increase creativity by 81-100% - and what's more, they promote "divergent thinking," which is a type of thought derived from separating yourself from your current world in order to think more "freely and openly."

@soberswiftie

♬ august - Taylor Swift

Don't take our word for it though - even people on TikTok are recommending the practice while working. 

TikTok user @soberswiftie recently made a TikTok where she expressed that, in order to remedy feeling isolated from her coworkers, she decided schedule a virtual meeting with one of them where they both agreed to walk on their treadmills at home while talking. "It was so nice to catch up with her, and I ended up walking 2.83 miles at a 20 minute per mile pace," she says at the end of her video. 

Another TikTok user, @selfloveyaz, recently expressed in one of her TikToks why she loves taking walking meetings. "It’s very calming. I found a way to work that into a few of my one on one meetings, and it has been so incredible! I highly recommend you give it a try," she says.

Not to mention that, aside from the benefits of getting one on one time with coworkers and some exercise, walking also is proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression - helping you not only build positive relationships with others, but with yourself too.