April 14, 2026

To this day, the first suggestion I offer when hearing that one of my children (now both young adults) is not feeling well emotionally or physically is “take a walk.” It has been a tried-and-true method of restoration for me and family. As I remind my kids – “you come from a long line of walkers.” Both of my grandmothers and my husband’s grandmother, all of whom lived well into their 90s, were daily walkers. And they were also wise women who passed along life advice that still serves as a north star. So, it was not surprising to me when I came across this headline “Your brain was built to solve problems at 3 mph.”

As is often the case, science confirms what our ancestors knew to be true. Walking at steady pace gives our brain a boost. When we take a walk, we tend to feel less stressed, think more clearly, and experience more creative problem solving. In fact, most of my Notes to the Network are drafted in my mind while I am out taking a walk. Stepping away from the computer gives me the mental space to make connections and integrate information in a more meaningful (and hopefully interesting) way.

This led me to reflect on current practice in the workplace. There are many roles in which we sit most of the day. Most meetings that I have attended where we are attempting to solve complex problems are held with everyone seated, sometimes for many hours at a stretch. What I love about trauma informed practices is the opportunity to take new (or new to you) information and get curious. What might the understanding that we are more creative, focused and feel better when moving mean for how we work? And what is even considered work time?

As we transition into the spring and warmer weather, I encourage you to go outdoors and take a walk. I wonder what you might discover, uncover, or reimagine? I would love to hear from you and share what you have learned in a future newsletter (drop me a note at emeeker@ccsi.org).

In gratitude,

Elizabeth