This may seem like a silly question, but is it bad to listen to music when going for a walk? Think about it. You're putting in earbuds and cancelling out the nature and other sounds around you. On top of that, you're less likely to hear a car coming, making this potentially dangerous. My main concern with this activity is that you're blocking out your thoughts or "clearing your mind" if you will. While that may sound good on paper, I can't help but think it's like you're avoiding yourself. Rather than reflecting on your life, looking around, and/or simply admiring nature, you're just blocking it all out. I guess this is less of an issue if the music is calm and quiet, but part of the reason I listen to music on walks in the first place is because it motivates me to go faster and keep a consistent speed going. Obviously the reasoning here is that I need the excercise and I'm not as motivated if I don't have some tunes playing. However, I can't help but think that's wrong and unnatural. I know it's not considered that weird by others since quite a few people do that, but I feel like this is one of those unhealthy norms that strays us further away from focusing on the things that matter in life. I honestly can't say for sure since not everyone listens to music for the same reasons, but I think it's worth looking into to make sure you're actually listening to music to focus or have genuine fun rather than as an escape or daily impulse. (because chances are your mind is conscious about that escapism and you start to feel anxious instead of happy)