listening to movies
this might sound a bit unusual but when i walk or do some light work, and if i need some sound in the background, i don’t listen to music. i listen to movies.
most people reach for playlists, albums, youtube videos, or podcasts during their commute, but these mediums are actually surprisingly hard for me to keep in the background.
it’s not that i don’t like music. it’s that it depends so much on mood. a song that feels perfect in one moment can feel completely wrong just a little later. so i end up skipping tracks, searching for something else, and eventually getting tired of the whole process.
but even when i do find the right music, it doesn’t last long. after a while, music itself starts to feel tiring. the same thing happens with podcasts or youtube videos with nonstop talking. they also begin to feel heavy, like too much input all at once.
that’s when i discovered something that works much better for me: movies. not just any movies, but films i’ve already seen and liked, especially atmospheric ones. movies like the lord of the rings are perfect for this.
they offer something music and podcasts don’t: balance. there’s music, but also silence; dialogue, but also pauses. the sounds of nature, footsteps, wind, etc.; small layers of sound that come and go naturally. nothing is constant, nothing is overwhelming (some scenes, though, can be overwhelming; i mute the movie to avoid those scenes).
and because i already know the story, i don’t feel the need to actively follow every second. i can just let it exist in the background while i walk or work.
somehow, it doesn’t tire me. it feels more like being inside a familiar world than consuming content. it supports my focus instead of demanding it. i just press play on a movie i already love and let it become part of the atmosphere.