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Screengrabs via @GrataWellness and @MadyMaio on TikTok

The ‘Silent Walk’ TikTok trend, explained

The newest hot girl walk might not be groundbreaking, but it can provide some great benefits. Here's what to know about Silent Walking.

If there’s one thing that TikTok has proven, it’s anything can become a trend. If people take to it, they are quick to integrate it into their day-to-day lives. The latest one is simply an unplugged walk.

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Though it sounds simple, people are raving about how much the “Silent Walk” trend is changing their daily routine, and fortifying their mental health.

What is a Silent Walk?

In a now-deleted TikTok, podcaster Mady Maio discussed her daily routine where she goes on a thirty-minute walk. The routine started because her doctor recommended walking every day in order to decrease the intensity of her workouts.

As an added challenge, she decided to start taking these walks with no distractions. No podcasts, no music, and no videos playing in the background. The daily walk turned out to be amazing for her body, mind, and business. She shared that she comes up with her best ideas when she’s distraction-free, and feels like she’s able to solve a lot more problems this way.

The trend has caught on, and people all across TikTok have started going on their own silent walks on the daily and it seems to be yielding amazing results. People have shared countless videos about how taking the time to intentionally unplug has been amazing for their stress and anxiety levels, as well as their physical fitness.

@samjamessssss

having to listen to your inner voice like 👁️ 👄 👁️ #torontolife #fyp #silentwalks

♬ original sound – samjamess

Why are people criticizing the trend?

The trend isn’t without controversy; many people are criticizing and poking fun at those promoting the silent walk, saying that what they’re doing is just walking like a normal person, and there’s no reason to be making it a whole trend.

Many people are pointing out that taking an undistracted walk in order to clear your head or sort out your thoughts is an obvious, age-old solution to a scattered brain.

Where does the trend originate?

@the.tiser

If the words “hot girl walk”, “everything showers” and “bare minimum Mondays” mean little to you besides sounding like the names of indie-rock girl bands, chances are you’re of a generation beyond the grasps of Gen Z’s online trends. It also means you’re unlikely to have heard of “silent walking” – the latest TikTok sensation to take teens in its hot little hands. What is silent walking, you ask? Well. It’s going for a walk without a phone, music, podcasts, or any sort of technological distraction. The response to this new “trend” can be divided into two categories. Category 1: the digital generation. “An hour without my phone?! Sorry, my anxiety could never. If I spend a single second with my own thoughts I might literally (see: figuratively) die.” And category 2: the rest. “No technology? Pah! Back in my day we walked with nothing but bare feet, sixpence and gumption!” Which one are you? #silentwalking #genz #socialmedia

♬ original sound – The Advertiser – The Advertiser

Regardless of whether this trend is new branding on an old practice, Today reports that the viral trend has roots in Buddhist practice. Buddhist Monks do this often as a way to connect with their core selves, which is, even if unknowingly, exactly what partakers in this trend are doing.

Psychologist Dr. Suzanne Hackenmiller told Today that depression and anxiety rates have risen drastically since the pandemic, and this trend is a great way for people to reclaim their mental health through natural approaches.

In this day and age, there are so many distractions that we often don’t give our brains time to rest until we’ve gone to sleep. If you find your thoughts full and yourself restless, as simple and obvious as it may sound, give the trend a try. You may be surprised at what it may do for your mind, body, and soul.


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Jensen Bird
Jensen is a Freelance Writer at We Got This Covered. She specializes in TikTok and social media content. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Journalism at Columbia University and has a degree in Foreign Language & Communications Media. Jensen spends way too much time scrolling on TikTok and is grateful for a position that lets her write about it.
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