Day dreaming, wandering and doing nothing

The essence of moodling

Let me start by saying upfront that I am not a serious Walker (with a capital W). Walking is decidedly not part of my day unless I make a big effort for it to be so. I work from home. And until recently, the transition between home and work mode was simply moving in a daily circle from the armchair in the lounge to my office desk in the spare room - a matter of meters! But then I started a "Fake / Faux Commute". This is a short stroll along the same route each morning to allow my mind to transition from home matters to work matters and to get my body moving! I’m doing it for my mental well-being.

Fun Fact: Did you know, that studies carried out at Stanford University report that walking can boost creativity by 60%?

As this “commute” is more purposeful and I cannot linger, I don’t consider it as a moodle.

No. A moodle is something I do when I have loads of time. And happily, regular moodling has become possible since my return to the UK 4 years ago, especially as I live on the most beautiful island in England!

• I moodle to get back in touch with myself, my inner child, and my inner artist. It’s an Artist's Date for me.

• I moodle to give myself time to let in new ideas.

• I moodle to get fresh air, stretch my legs, listen to nature, and see new things.

• I moodle to take a much-needed break from technology.

• I moodle to play. To play. It is so easy to forget how to play!

Do you moodle? Why do you moodle? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Well, I’ll be sharing a new card from the pack and the story that goes along with it! I hope you’ll join me!

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PS: Where does the word moodle come from?

If you search Google, the etymology of the word is actually unknown. I first encountered it in Brenda Ueland's book “If You Want to Write”. She used it to mean dawdling and frittering away time while letting your mind wander in the most relaxing way there is. This is how I want to think about moodling!

But there are other ways people use it: to describe a combination of doodling and mindfulness called Mindful Moodling or to daydream with a pencil in your hand, and if you’re an educator you may have used Moodle to create and share educational materials online!

Book recommendation

I was gifted a brilliant book about walking back in 2019 and I often dip into it when I need to remind myself how wonderful walking can be.

Walking is medicine for the mind. It helps us slow down and think things through. It also helps us perk up and generate new ideas. There are few activities as readily available and revitalizing as a brisk walk, or as soothing and stimulating as a long walk. Wonderful things can happen when we set out on two feet. [Walking in the rain]