Steve Jobs's simple 10-minute method that can help you think better: exercise was one of his fundamental needs

S teve Jobs had a particular way of facing difficult problems. When a decision became complicated or an idea just wouldn’t come, Apple’s founder didn’t necessarily stay glued to the screen trying to find a solution. He preferred to get up and walk.

Walks were a regular part of his routine. Walter Isaacson, his biographer, explained that walking was his preferred way of having important conversations , while Jony Ive, one of his closest collaborators, also recalled the many occasions when the two of them walked while they talked.

What happens in the brain when we walk

"The idea behind this habit is simple. If, after about ten minutes in front of a problem, no solution appears, continuing to force your thinking can end up generating frustration . The alternative is to switch activities and get moving.

The neuroscientist Mithu Storoni, trained at the University of Cambridge and author of Hyperefficient, has defended precisely this strategy. As she explains, some executives use a similar rule: if they have spent ten minutes without finding the answer to a problem, they leave the computer and go out for a walk.

Walking can also boost creativity and mental flexibility. As we move, our attention remains slightly aware of our surroundings and does not become completely trapped in a single idea. That shift can make it easier for the brain to look at a problem from different perspectives.

The key, therefore, would not be in walking exactly ten minutes as if it were a magic formula, but in breaking the blockage. Changing scenery, getting up from the chair, and letting conscious reasoning rest for a few minutes can be more productive than continuing to insist.

So, the next time an idea doesn’t work out, perhaps the solution isn’t to keep staring at the screen for another hour . Ten minutes of walking might be what you need to come back with a clear head.