An Exercise In Imagination
I once doom scrolled before bed every night for an entire month. What a terrible idea.
I couldn't focus during the day. My thoughts were jaded, and it made my mind simultaneously wired and numb. If you would ask me whether it was the information overload that really did me in, the emotional baiting, or the intrusive marketing that was thrown at me each time I opened one of those apps, I wouldn't be able to tell you. All I could say was that my beauty sleep quickly turned into ugly sleep, and it included all of the under eye baggage, free of charge.
It wasn't just my physical looks and brain cells that began to deteriorate, it was everything else along with it too. My eczema flared up, my adult acne made a reappearance, and my gut felt more sluggish than it had in years.
I understand you, though. You're going to say that not every night is necessarily a comfortable book reading kind of night. And you're right, but you shouldn't have to resort to needing a cup of sleepy tea every single evening, just for it to knock you out and leave you in a haze come morning. Sometimes, you want to see what's going on in the real world, and you may also want the ease of seeing something on a screen before bed, sans the mass confusion and bad energy.
I honestly think I may have found the key, or at least one of the keys, that could help us bridge this gap between the screen and the serenity of a book.
Imagination.
Yes, it really is as simple as that. But unfortunately, at this point, it may prove to be easier said than done. See, your imagination, is a muscle of sorts. Once out of practice (you can blame adulthood for that), it becomes increasingly difficult to use and keep in good health. Having a good imagination is vital to your overall wellbeing.
So, if the imagination is like a muscle that must be exercised often, then that means that reading a book before bed is a bit like going to a boot camp class at the gym right before you hit the hay. It's intense, it requires prior energy storage, and if you do it enough times, you might suddenly sprout a six pack and notice that all of your shirts have gone missing from your closet. The solution that I'm about to pose to you is a little lower on the impact training scale. Think of it as a ballet barre class for your mind.
That's right, welcome to the world of virtual walking tours. Prepare to stretch your imagination and chill out. I promise you'll feel rejuvenated tomorrow if you just follow my 7 step workout plan.
1. Pick a Location and the Weather
First, I should note that I had criteria for which place I was going to suggest, in order to help you lean in slowly to this stress relief method. The location had to offer all four seasons, because different moods suit different weather patterns. It also had to have clean streets and a lack of garbage mountains. Sorry, New York. Last but not least, it had to feature videographers that produced some of the highest quality virtual walking tours I could find on YouTube. This whittled it down quite a bit, and I also decided to add in a foreign language factor to pique our curiosity. All of this led us to Seoul, so why don't we take a mini tour of the East, shall we?
What follows is a tentative suggestion of a few videos from one of my favorite accounts, Seoul Walker, to get you started. I also made sure to choose at least one video that was shot in the rain, snow, and evening, so you can build just the right storyline in your head.
Snow
Nothing is quite as magical and fun as those heavy snow days, full of windswept flurries, shrieks of excitement, and the longing for a cozy spot to warm up in. Here's a video if you are feeling in the mood to get the holidays started early.
Location: Seoul, South Korea, Gangnam
Youtuber: Seoul Walker
Title: Snowfall in Gangnam Street During Rush Hour | Walking in Seoul City 4K HDR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uLfT1s7dqY
Rain
You know what you need? A moody, rainy day. The sounds are perfect for inducing a state of relaxation and the water will have you feeling introspective. It's good for a bit of meditation, if you ask me.
Location: Seoul, South Korea, Hongdae
Youtuber: Seoul Walker
Title: Rainy Night Hongdae Street in Seoul | Rain Drops | Umbrella Sounds 4K HDR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwCoQ_g-gE
Calm Evening
Taking a stroll outside on a balmy evening is a little romantic, no? On evenings like this, there rarely exists a true destination. Instead, it's all about the unrushed journey, appreciating the sunset, and having nowhere in particular to go.
Location: Seoul, South Korea, Seongsu
Youtuber: Seoul Walker
Title: Friday Night in Seongsu: Seoul's Trendiest Streets Walking Tour | 4K HDR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AvOD4WgUFY
2. What Are You Wearing?
Now that you've made your choice of what location you want to start your imaginary storyline in, it's time to start digging into the details in order to get the most out of your walking experience. The first question I'm going to ask is the obvious: What are you wearing?
Well, I suppose it depends on what kind of weather you chose to go walking in. However, the possibilities are endless here. Do I sometimes take an hour and a half walk in sky high stilettos? Yes. Do I also go walking in the coolest, brightest, most neon pilates outfit? Also yes.
What kind of shoes are you wearing? Rainboots? Or are you floating in your sneakers?
Are you wearing something casual but chic? Or are you dressed to the nines for a gala?
Which leads to my next few questions...
3. Where Are You Coming From?
This one might have a bit of a say in your wardrobe. Sometimes I'm coming from the office, a little bit tired after a long day. Other times I'm just popping out of my apartment to have a look around on a weekend or a day off. Still, other times I imagine that I've just finished up a late afternoon yoga class and my mind and body are at peace as I walk along in my pastel athleisure. Decide where you're coming from and think about how you would feel at that moment as you start the walk. It makes a big difference when you start out the video knowing where you might have been just before it began. It sets the tone that you'll be taking through the entire experience.
4. Where Are You Going?
This one ties in closely to the last, and together they form the main "storyline" of this exercise in imagination. From the office I might be going to meet a few friends after work for drinks and dinner, just to catch up. Maybe I'm on my way to meet a date for the evening. From my apartment, I might be looking for something to eat because I can't be bothered with cooking on a Saturday night. In that case, I'm on my way to get my favorite takeout and enjoy a nice and cozy evening in, watching my favorite shows and lighting my scented candles. From my late afternoon yoga class, I might be on my way home, having just decided to take the long way because I have nothing much planned for later. I might decide to stop into a boutique or store on the way if I see something I like.
Start out by crafting your story with a mix of activities that you already do, and activities from a lifestyle that you might enjoy living.
5. What Are You Holding?
This one, though somewhat different, seems to round out the last few questions. Details are everything. On a cold, snowy walk, I like to imagine that somewhere in the middle I stop in one of the cafes on the street to get a warm and creamy drink to go. I sip it as I walk, the cup warming my gloved hands. Maybe it's my favorite milk tea, and it's almost as if I can taste the sweet and soothing rose flavor on my tongue as I watch the video.
Maybe I'm holding an umbrella. You know, one of the nice ones. An umbrella in one hand and my takeout bag in the other, on my way home for a high calorie evening filled with fries, burgers, and milkshakes. The anticipation is palpable in my imaginary world.
So, go ahead and fill in some of the tiniest details. You'll see how huge of a difference it makes to the overall mood of your walk.
6. Who Are You Walking With?
Are you holding someone's hand? Maybe you're taking a walk with a significant other, or quietly strolling after dinner with a nice new date. What are you talking about?
Maybe you're walking with a friend after a day of shopping, multiple bags in your hands and you're both looking for a good place to eat an early dinner.
Or are you walking by yourself, lost in your own thoughts, taking in the sights and observing the people that pass you by on the way?
Take a minute to think, and add some fluff to your journey.
7. What Are You Feeling?
I might have touched on this topic a bit, but for this one you really have to work a little harder and use all of your senses. What you're seeing and hearing is a little obvious, so we won't talk about that. But what are you tasting, touching, and smelling?
As I mentioned earlier that on a cold snowy walk it was almost as if I could taste the rose flavored milk tea. But you know what? I could also feel the momentary sting of freezing rain on my cheeks and eyelashes, only interrupted by the odd blasts of hot air coming from buses and buildings. That hot air has a smell too, and it's not the best, but I can still smell it. That, coupled with the distinct scent of rain turning to snow, makes for an immersive hour that stretches my mind, relaxes my body, and takes the whole experience up a notch.
You know what? I'm glad I shared this method with you. It might seem a little odd at first, but sooner or later it'll become an easy stress reliever that you look forward to. As always, check out Seoul Walker for more of their videos. They have all sorts of walks for you to try out, but this curated collection was just to get you started. So, practice exercising your imagination, and please stop doom scrolling. It's killing your brain cells.
Bonus: A Driving Video
Maybe you need something a bit more low-key and purposely soothing to get you to sleep. Here it is.
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Youtuber: Seoul Walker
Title: Night Driving Seoul City | Gangnam and Expressway with Chill Lofi Hiphop Beats POV 4K HDR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xZVEFVBuE