Finding a happy balance in your happy place
September 17, 2022
The delights of the school holidays are behind us, and busy parents are back at the coal face of creating a work life balance.
With hectic schedules and the kids’ afterschool activity timetables, what can we do to promote well-being and life balance? How do we create a ‘happy place’ that’s just for us?
Julie Davies, a teaching assistant from Porthcawl in South Wales, practises wild swimming on Newton beach throughout the year.
‘It’s an amazing stress reliever, fantastic for your mental health. The cold only lasts for seconds, but the happiness lasts for days!’
Scientists agree. Cold water immersion has a host of physical and health benefits including lowering blood pressure, increasing metabolism, and releasing endorphins. It brings social benefits, too. Julie swims with friends, sharing a coffee on the beach afterwards.
‘I get my Cwtchie hoodie – blanket on and we put the world to rights after a swim – the beach Is my happy place.’
Ceri Waters, businesswoman and busy mother of two, takes her stress out on the nearby Welsh mountainside.
‘I invested in a decent pair of waterproof trousers, some comfy boots, and a local map. Early morning hikes are best for me- I’m often home before my teens are out of bed! It’s a big rush, enjoying a sunrise when there’s nobody else about. You have the world to yourself.’
As well as benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, studies reveal that walking in nature has huge ‘happiness’ benefits. A recent article from the University of Minnesota cities a hospital study where gall bladder surgery patients recovered in two rooms – one with a view of trees, the other with a blank wall. Those with a view of nature tolerated pain better, felt less negative and had shorter hospital stays.
When Cwtchie advocate, Nicola Roach’s, youngest child was ready to leave home for university, she was dreading the void.
‘In the space of a few years, all four children left home. I’d been mothering for twenty-four years and suddenly I was redundant!’
Nicola found her happy place at local running club, the Cornelly Striders.
‘It was a shock to the system; I hadn’t run since school. The first meeting I went to was their monthly 10k. I didn’t show anyone, but I thought I might faint!’
She hasn’t looked back and regularly records milestones with personal bests and new terrain.
‘It’s been the best thing for my well-being. I work plus I’m a hands- on grandma. Running gives me the energy to enjoy my growing family’.
All three have also found the perfect happy place with their Cwtchie hoodie blankets.
‘There’s nothing better after a long run than a shower and a snuggle in my Cwtchie – you can’t fail to relax when you’re wearing a cloud-soft wearable hug!’
Ceri agrees. ‘Sunrise on a hilltop, sundown with a hot chocolate and my Cwtchie in front of a log fire. Bliss.’
Where will you find your happy place this autumn?
To find a wild swimming group near you, contact The Bluetits Chill Swimmers
Research running groups on R 4 Wales and RunTogether
Cwtchie blankets with hoods can be found at www.cwtchie.co uk
