# What should you think about while running? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/movement/what-to-think-about-while-running/ Section: Movement · Updated: 2026-10-13 · Publisher: Zestasy Anything you like, and some days nothing at all. Useful options are noticing (the street, the light, other people's gardens), counting (breaths, lamp posts), letting a problem drift around without forcing it, or a podcast or playlist. Most runners rotate between these, and accepting a bit of boredom is part of the deal, not a sign you are doing it wrong. A run is one of the few times in a modern day when nobody can reach you and you cannot reasonably do anything else. That is either delightful or alarming, depending on the day. The good news is that there is no correct thing to think about. There are, however, a few modes worth knowing, so you can switch between them when one runs dry. ## Mode one: noticing Turn the attention outwards. Run as if you were a location scout for a film set in your town. Which balcony has the best plants? Which door would you buy? What does the bakery smell like at this hour, and how far down the street can you smell it? Noticing is quietly absorbing and works best on routes with something to look at, which is a fine excuse to vary them. ## Mode two: counting Counting is gloriously dull, which is exactly its charm. Count breaths in sets of ten. Count steps to the next lamp post. Count red cars. It gives the mind a small job, which can be exactly right on a tough stretch or a hill you would rather not be on. It is the running equivalent of humming. ## Mode three: drifting Take a question or a problem out with you, but do not try to solve it. Mention it to yourself at the start, then let it float. You might come home with an answer; you might come home having thought entirely about what to have for dinner. Both count. Ideas sometimes show up uninvited on a run, and you only find out by leaving the door open. ## Mode four: company in your ears Music, podcasts and audiobooks are perfectly respectable. A good playlist can make an ordinary run feel cinematic, and a gripping audiobook can make you take the long way home just to find out what happens. A few practical notes: - **Keep one ear open** or the volume low near traffic and on shared paths, so you can still hear bikes, cars and people. - **Have a no-headphones run now and then.** It is a different experience and some people end up preferring it. - **Match the audio to the run.** Upbeat for short, lively outings; something narrative for long, easy ones. ## Making peace with boredom Some stretches of some runs will simply be boring. That is fine. Boredom is not an emergency, and not every minute needs to be entertaining. Some people come to like that blankness: the brain idling while the legs get on with it. If boredom is the main thing you feel on every run, though, change the route, the company or the time of day before you change anything else. ## What not to think about Your pace, every thirty seconds. How far there is still to go, in metres. Whether people are looking at you (they are not; they are thinking about their own lunch). These thoughts are the ones that make runs feel long. If they creep in, switch to another mode: notice something, count something, or press play. ## FAQ ### Is it bad to think about work while running? Not at all, if it feels like thinking rather than worrying. If you notice you are rehearsing an argument with a colleague at full volume in your head, that is a good cue to switch to noticing or counting for a few minutes. ### Should I run with music or without? Try both for a couple of weeks each and see which runs you look forward to. Many people use music for some runs and silence for others. Where races or events have rules about headphones, follow them. ### How do I stop focusing on how tired I feel? Give your attention a specific job: count, notice, or pick a landmark ahead and think only about reaching it. Then pick the next one. Tiredness is easier to carry in small pieces. ## Related - [How do you make running feel less like a chore?](https://zestasy.com/movement/make-running-less-of-a-chore/) - [Why do the first ten minutes of a run feel so bad?](https://zestasy.com/movement/first-ten-minutes-of-a-run/) - [How do you swim laps without getting bored?](https://zestasy.com/movement/lap-swimming-without-boredom/) - [How do you walk more without counting steps?](https://zestasy.com/movement/walking-more-without-counting-steps/) - [How do you keep a hobby just for fun?](https://zestasy.com/mindset/keeping-a-hobby-just-for-fun/) - [All Movement answers](https://zestasy.com/movement/)