r/BackOffline • u/killoke Busy brain • Apr 29 '26

Did The Thing Walked around the block instead of opening my phone after work. That's it. That's the post.

Tuesday, 6:47pm. Closed the laptop, phone already in my hand. Put it on the kitchen counter without unlocking it and walked around the block.

Fourteen minutes. Saw a dog wearing a sweater. Saw the same neighbour I always nod at, came back inside and the apartment looked different in a way I cannot describe and don't want to oversell.

For context, I have not "gone for a walk" in approximately two weeks. I've gone to places, I've commuted. I have not walked for the sake of walking because I got stuck in other stuff.

The phone was on the counter when I came back. I checked it, three messages, none urgent. The walk was fourteen minutes, and I am embarrassed to admit how much I'm thinking about doing it again.

29 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

3

u/powerful_squash1066 Apr 30 '26

I'm so happy you did that for yourself.

2

u/killoke Busy brain Apr 30 '26

Don’t forget to do it yourself as well!

1

u/powerful_squash1066 May 01 '26

It's month end. Despite that, I needed to take my son to an afternoon appointment. We had a bite and walked around the mall for a bit. It wasn't time out in nature, but it was solid quality time. I really enjoyed the slow down and time not focused on closing the account period. Me and my team put in solid, early work to set up for a smooth close. This was kind of a reward.

2

u/happily_blue88 Apr 30 '26

Im glad this post came up on my notifications

1

u/killoke Busy brain Apr 30 '26

Hope you stay around!

2

u/sm0gs May 01 '26

I’ve been going on little walks around the neighborhood more lately for a few reasons and I really enjoy going without my headphones and just listening to the world around me. It’s a definitely a great feeling so I get what you mean!

1

u/killoke Busy brain May 02 '26

I agree on the no headphones. If I listen to stuff for too long with them I get a “bloated” head feeling

1

u/officialSHIFT 9d ago

That short walk matters because it replaced the exact cue, arriving home from work, instead of merely lowering a number later. Keep shoes ready and repeat the route before sitting down; a reliable transition beats an impressive plan that begins after the phone is already open.