As the saying goes, you can’t just talk the talk. You’ve got to walk the walk too. So, it’s confession time … until recently, I’ve been neglecting the walk side of things — both literally and metaphorically.
Post-Covid, like so many people, I continued working from home regularly. Which has its advantages: few distractions apart from the cat and the fridge; familiar surroundings; home comforts. I get a lot done.
But being rooted to the spot goes against one of the principles we hold dear at Lucid. That movement is a great way to unlock your feelings.
That’s why we incorporate movement-based exercises into our F2F research sessions (which are increasingly in demand). We developed these techniques based on findings from the neuroscientific world (Damasio et al) that we hold our emotions in our bodies and access them more readily when we move.
And it really works. Our respondents become more receptive, their self-consciousness melts away, and they are better able to convey their feelings about clients’ brands, products, issues or concepts.
A few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to practice what I preach and started walking to the office regularly. I’ve enjoyed being around people more often, the low-level hubbub, someone else making the coffee. But it’s the walk there and back that has been the revelation. I’ve felt so much more in touch with my feelings and surroundings.
My walking commute brought back why I love living in Brighton so much. Everything seemed bright and vibrant, like the colour had been turned up. I realised I was probably due a new pair of trainers.. Things that had been niggling away at me for a while suddenly became clear. Haziness became certainty. My mind shifted up a gear. My feelings became as clear as the sky over the Channel.
From now on, I resolve to walk the walk regularly, in work and to work. In the sage words of 1990s rappers Reel to Real … “I like to move it, move it”.
(And for the earworm to end all earworms, check it out on YouTube https://lnkd.in/eVu4jmwY)
Maddy is Director of Lucid. She has been described as a ‘maestra’ with groups of people and is appreciated for her passion and commitment as well as the clarity of her strategic thinking, insight and expression. Maddy began her career in advertising at Ogilvy and BBH and then worked at the Arts Council, English National Opera, AEA consulting and Stimulating World Research before setting up Lucid.