Silence is golden — and virtually impossible to find in New York City.
But millennials like Julia Salvia are combating the mental strain of the hustle and bustle not by trying to tune it out, but by lacing up their sneakers, ditching, phones, headsets and earpieces and going for a contemplative stroll — yelping sirens, roaring traffic and the chatter of passersby be damned.
“I go for these 20 to 30 minute walks, and I’m not listening to music or a podcast or videos on social media. I’m just silent,” Salvia, 29, a beauty and self-love content creator, explained to The Post.
“My silent walks grant me the opportunity to peacefully think about my day, my goals and really begin to enjoy my own company,” she said.
Say hello to the #SilentWalk — the trendiest thing on two legs since Hot Girl Walk flounced onto the scene, post-pandemic.
Salvia, who lives in Monmouth County, New Jersey, sneaks in her silent strolls wherever she can — while in Manhattan for work, or in her home neighborhood.
And while the walks don’t magically mute the ever-buzzing world around her, the brunette says intentionally eliminating the added noises of her phone while on the go have helped reduce her anxiety — and cope with the recent and sudden loss of her dad.
“Silent walks calm me down and offer me the chance to actively chill out,” she said. “I’m getting vitamin D and endorphins, and I’m taking care of myself — physically and mentally.”
Salvia says her walks inspired her to help others too — she’s just launched a podcast on the subject of self love.
“These walks help me become so mentally clear, and I want everyone to experience that,” she said.
The noise-free fad is definitely ringing some bells online.
The hashtag #SilentWalk has amassed nearly 360,000 TikTok views from peace-seekers across the U.S., most of them applauding the quiet craze for its stress-relieving and creativity-inducing benefits.
Kenzie Elizabeth, a 26-year-old lifestyle influencer from Dallas, Tex., who earned 25,000 likes on a video dedicated to the trend, tells The Post that the hushed hikes have been a “game changer” for her mental health.
Natasha Ibrahim, 27, a personal development trendsetter from Austin, agreed, saying the soundless outings have given her the space to dream up new ideas for her personal brand expansion.
Silent walks are a whole different vibe from the hot girl walk, a phenomena created by Mia Lind, which encouraged women to jam out to their favorite songs during daily empowerment marches. The cyber buzz around the hot-to-trot sensation sparked the birth of dozens of walking groups throughout the Big Apple in 2022.
Rather than pounding the pavement with tunes and grooves, silent walking is all about becoming introspective in order to unlock new levels of imagination and innovation.
The movement was first coined by “Okay Sis” podcaster Mady Maio, 29, from Los Angeles, in June.
Online, the tastemaker sang the movement’s praises to her more than 47,700 TikTok followers, raving over the surges of genius she’s experienced through going silent.
“Your brain just gets into this flow state, and everything is quiet. Suddenly, you can f – – king hear yourself,” Maio revealed in a clip with over 458,000 views.
Although the introspection enthusiast admits that the first few moments of moving sans distraction are mental “mayhem,” Maio said the beauty of silence swiftly overwhelms her impulse to pop in her earbuds.
“After 30 minutes of silent walking, I suddenly had the clarity that I had always been looking for,” added the Californian. “Every time I finish a silent walk I have a new idea for my business, I’ve untangled a weird situation in my head that I’ve been ruminating over and I feel like a lot of my current question marks get answered.”
Marianna Cuomo Maier, a board-certified wellness coach in Manhattan, tells The Post that silent walks can be a step in the right direction for folks feeling overwhelmed by the many pressures of the day.
“We’re living in very stressful and busy times. And here in New York City, we’re surrounded by noise,” said Maier.
“Carving out that space to be in the stillness of silence is how we become our most healthy, whole and productive selves.”
