WSJ: “In one study, Dr. Strayer and colleagues compared two groups of people strolling an arboretum. One group chatted on their phones. The others had their devices taken away. After the walk, the people who didn’t carry their phones were in a much more calm and rested state than the chatters, researchers found.” This has been my experience too. When I stopped taking my phone on my walks they became more restorative; and birds are more delightful to listen to than podcasts.