Category: Wellbeing Escapes

6 Ways Living By The Waterfront Can Improve Your Mental And Physical Health By Rachelle Wilber

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 5 Comments

If you want a change in life, moving to a waterfront community may offer you a great new perspective. Buying a home that’s next to the ocean can have many advantages and improve your physical and mental health in different ways. 

Stress Reduction 

Waterfront living can reduce your stress and help you feel better physically and mentally more of the time. When you’re feeling stressed, the calming maritime scenery and the sounds of ocean waves crashing onto the shore can put you into a better mood almost instantly. The reduction in stress can also be good for your blood pressure and heart health and soothe your body and soul. 

Possibly Less Air Pollution 

You might be exposed to less air pollution if you live next to the ocean. Studies show that air pollution is often higher in valleys because of topography and temperature factors. With less air pollution, you’ll be able to breathe easier and inhale more of the clean oxygen that your mind needs to function at its best. 

Less Crowding Than in Big Cities 

Waterfront communities are often less crowded than big cities. Living in an overcrowded community can expose you more to communicable illnesses that are passed from other people. You may also feel more stressed and combative if you have to contend with large numbers of people in your daily life, and you may avoid these problems by buying a waterfront home instead. 

Chance to Connect More with Nature 

Being around nature offers you one of the best ways to minimise your problems and view life from a broader perspective. When you look out onto the ocean each day from your home, you’ll have the chance to connect with nature more and think about what’s most important in life. As you search for your new home, you can choose from many waterfront homes for sale that can put you in better touch with nature. 

Encourages More Physical Activity 

You may be inspired to get out and exercise more if you live by the ocean, which can help improve your physical fitness and keep your stress levels in check. People often like to jog and ride their bikes next to the sea, and seeing these passersby near your home can encourage you to join in on the activities. You may also be inspired to take up boating if you see boats on the water frequently. 

Cooler in the Summer 

Even though you’ll still likely get plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures if you live by the ocean, you probably won’t have to deal with the heat spikes that you would if you lived farther inland. Excessive heat can cause breathing problems and lead to other serious health conditions. The hotter temperatures can also make you feel more irritable, and living next to the ocean can help you keep your cool with the sea breeze. . With all the different waterfront homes that are on the market, you should have no trouble finding the house that’s the most suitable for you. 

Remember to think of what is best for your mental and physical health, as well as needing to be near your support networks.

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer based in San Diego, California.

5 Outdoor Activities That Will Improve Your Mental Health by Elizabeth Howard

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 3 Comments
(image: Elizabeth Howard)

Spending more time outdoors will do wonders for your mental health. While research has shown that being outdoors helps alleviate stress and the symptoms of emotional illnesses, you can easily discover these benefits by interacting with nature. You will benefit from being outdoors when you sit on your porch, but you’ll keep your leisure time more interesting when you engage in a variety of different outdoor activities and boost your mental health.

Take a Weekend Camping Trip

You can rough it in a tent or enjoy a glamping excursion by renting a fully equipped cabin for the weekend. As you search for available campgrounds in Mississippi (or the country you live in), look for a location that’s near the water or offers a variety of activities. You should try to plan a camping trip that offers plenty of amenities for you and your companions. Swimming, fishing, snorkelling, hiking, and bird watching are a few of the outdoor activities you can enjoy over the weekend. 

Be sure to bring your phone or a camera. You will probably see plenty of wildlife that you’ll want to capture in pictures or on video. Even if you rent a comfortable cabin or take your RV, you’ll find enough activities to keep you outside and in nature throughout your camping excursion.

Go For a Walk

You can spend more time outdoors without leaving home when you plan to take a walk each day or evening. This is an opportunity for you to get outside and clear your head away from work, family, and other obligations. As you walk, let your mind wander. Many people find this to be an effective way of subconsciously working out stressful problems. By the time the walk is over, you might find that they have a solution to a particular problem. 

You can keep your walks interesting and distracting by taking a different route each night. Find a different park, road or walk to a different convenience store each time. In addition to helping you explore different parts of your community, you will also have the opportunity to interact with different people, if you want to.

Rent a Boat

There’s no reason you should feel bound to land when you look for outdoor activities to enjoy. In fact, renting a boat and spending a few hours on the water can have a soothing effect on the mind. You may feel more tranquil as you’re surrounded by the sights, sounds, scents of the water. This is a great opportunity to get together with friends or bond with your family. 

When you’re on the water, you’ll be removed from distractions and have the chance to enjoy deeper conversations. You’ll also have a chance to see your city from a different perspective. By the time you return to the dock or shore, you’ll feel more peaceful and less stressed.

Start a Garden

There are many hidden health benefits of starting a garden, and it will provide a way for you to improve the landscaping of your own property. Working with your hands as you plant and maintain a garden will help you strengthen your hands and fingers, reducing your risks for joint pain. As you tend to your garden, your mind will wander and you’ll enter into a type of meditative state. This will help you set aside your daily worries and concerns for a brief period. That will be enough to relieve stress and help you enjoy a lighter mood.

Climb a Mountain

If you live near a mountain range, consider taking up climbing as a means of getting more outdoor exercise. The act of climbing will help you strengthen a variety of muscle groups throughout your body. As you climb, you’ll see your community and the surrounding region from a different perspective. The air will be more exhilarating as you reach higher points on the mountain. 

While you should start slowly and work with a guide, you may eventually find that mountain climbing can be a competitive sport that allows you to improve your performance over time. Achieving new climbing goals will cause a release of endorphins in the brain, helping you to enjoy a happier mood.

There are many more ways you can enjoy the outdoors and benefit your mental health. Look for things you like to do outside even if that just involves sitting under a tree and reading a good book. The fresh air will benefit your physical health as well as improve your wellbeing.

How Escaping to the Outdoors is Beneficial for Mental Health: by Amy Sloane

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 3 Comments

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(image: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15tymBGUxaR6XX6ThQU5dDzwgGuLBQvey/view)

 

There are so many people who suffer from debilitating mental disorders. Sometimes, people don’t recognise it. Often, people know something is off, but the mind is so powerful, it can convince a person that they’re totally fine. 

In many cases, it takes a person hitting rock-bottom before they recognise that they need real help. Thankfully there are ways to keep yourself as well as possible.

Consider some of the ways of escaping the outdoors can be extremely beneficial for your mental health.

 

1. Unplugging from Regular Life

The hustle and bustle of regular life can be very taxing on the mind. Between taking care of the children, making sure your spouse is okay, and holding down a well-paying job, you can lose yourself. Then, when you add exercise, adequate rest, and healthy eating to the equation, it can all become so overwhelming. Don’t even mention friendships. So many adults suffer from a lack of true friendships.

Thankfully, you can enjoy great food, wonderful friendships, and memories when you intentionally escape to the outdoors. Call a few friends to see if they’d be interested in going on a camping trip with you. When you all can get away to reset your minds, reconnect with one another and enjoy the fresh air, you can kill a few birds with one stone. 

Plus, vacations are necessary for mental health. When you take time for a quick sabbatical, studies show that you’ll increase your chances of showing up in a healthier way when it’s time to get back to regular life.

 

2. Solitude in Nature

There are countless benefits to being outside in nature. This is why camping in Utah in USA is an excellent idea. You’ll get to fall asleep under the stars, and you’ll experience true solitude. Nature is proven to help improve your overall mood. It helps you decrease any anxious feelings. 

Think about a time when you were really angry and needed to go for a walk to cool down, you’re probably not walking on a treadmill to calm down. An outdoor walk is helpful mainly because of the fresh air and the calming feeling of being in the open.

As you escape into solitude, you’ll become more attracted to activities that allow you to be outside. Whether this means that you schedule a camping trip once a quarter or you shoot hoops at the local basketball court, the feeling of being outside is unmatched. Plus, when you’re able to get outside and get active, you’ll release endorphins. 

Endorphins are really instrumental in boosting a person’s mood. They’re also helpful in boosting a person’s overall feelings of self-esteem and confidence.

 

3. Overstimulation

There are so many factors that come into play when you’re overstimulated. However, it’s a good idea to focus on the main culprit: smartphones. While smartphones can be amazing pieces of technology, they’re also the outlets that allow you to constantly check your email messages, respond to text messages, and scroll through social media. Even when you don’t need an update on what the President’s latest moves are, you’re getting alerts from the major news outlets.

While smartphones provide a tremendous amount of access, they can also provide a ton of overstimulation. When you’re visiting a campground, you’ll still get a signal from your mobile carrier. 

However, don’t be surprised if the signal isn’t as strong as it would be if you were at home. Knowing this, you have an excuse to pull away from all of the messages and instant responses people expect from you. Escaping to nature gives you an opportunity to put away your tech-savvy devices, put a ‘do not disturb’ message on your systems, and unplug.

As you find ways to intentionally take care of your mental health, remember that it’s not in vain. As you prioritize self-care, you’ll feel better and stronger. When nothing is wrong, it’s easy to assume that you’re completely invincible. Unfortunately, you’re not. Life chips away at you when you don’t check in with yourself. 

Even if you’re not always able to get to a campground, a simple walk around the neighborhood can help you clear your mind and get some fresh air. By escaping to the outdoors and prioritizing self-care, you can play a major role in keeping yourself sane.

 

This guest blog was written by writer Amy Sloane.

 

 

We are 4! On Be Ur Own Light’s Fourth Blog Anniversary by Eleanor

~ Eleanor Segall ~ 9 Comments

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Its Today- 1st March 2020 and Be Ur Own Light is 4 years old! (cue the streamers!)

I still remember starting this blog as an outlet for my fears, thoughts and emotions dealing with my bipolar and anxiety. The blog started as a way to tell my friends and family how I was feeling and has evolved into working with guest bloggers and now brands/ partners on sponsored wellness posts too! Writing the blog and sharing thoughts has been so therapeutic and it has taken me on  a journey that I could not have imagined.

In November 2019, I published my first book ‘Bring me to Light‘ with Trigger Publishing which is the book of my life story with bipolar disorder, anxiety and my life in general (travelling, going to drama school, starting a career as a writer). The blog has also grown so much this year and is currently nominated in the Mental Health Blog Awards for Blogger of the Year, thank you to our nominee!

Additionally, Vuelio awarded us as a Top 10 UK Mental Health Blog for the second year running and interviewed me (Eleanor) about working as a blogger!  Thanks also to Feedspot.com and My Therapy App for listing us in their mental health blog lists too for social anxiety and bipolar!

This year, I have written about World Bipolar Day for the Centre of Mental Health, about my search for EMDR therapy on the NHS, living with depression in winter, about writing my book and new life changes (getting married) and 2020 new year round up with hopes for the future. We also promoted mental health campaigns such as Shout UK text line (founded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Meghan),  Christmas 4 CAMHS, Time to Talk Day and Mental Health Awareness Week. Additionally, I spoke in Essex with my Dad about our joint story with bipolar for the Jami Mental Health Awareness Shabbat and we also spoke at Limmud Conference in Birmingham!

This winter I did some interviews for the book which can be seen on the Book tab above and also received some lovely reviews. It was amazing to appear in Happiful Magazine’s bonus wellness Mag this January (edited by campaigner Natasha Devon) and to write for Glamour and Bipolar UK. I also enjoyed being interviewed for the Jewish News and Jewish Chronicle! Hopefully at some point I will do podcasts about it too and more interviews.

From March 2019-2020, the blog has attracted wonderful and talented guest bloggers wanting to spread their messages about mental health and wellness.

We have also worked with the following brands on sponsored and gifted posts and hope to work with many more this next year :  YuLife, Nutra Tea, Essential Olie, Loveitcoverit on mental health apps, I-sopod floatation tanks, Core Wellness Maryland, Wellbeing Escapes Holidays.

My guest bloggers have written about their recovery and living with mental illnesses, as well as advice on how to improve your mental health. There a posts for whether you are going through a divorce, a bereavement, are stressed or have anxiety. We also had posts with people’s first hand experiences of mental illness including a brave post about being a sibling of someone with mental illness and one of living with an eating disorder. Furthermore, Be Ur Own Light has also covered World Mental Health Day and Time to Talk Day this year, featuring personal mental health stories as a way to raise awareness and fight misconceptions.

We have also covered new books coming out, a mental health fashion brand and a song about social anxiety, as well as posts about different therapies to help you.

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Thank you to my amazing guest bloggers (non sponsored) March 2019-2020 for your fantastic content:   

Ashley Smith- How Massage Therapy helps Anxiety Disorders

Emily Bartels- 5 tips for a mental health emergency plan

Dale Vernor- Understanding PTSD by Gender 

Tan at Booknerd Tan- How audio books and walking has helped anxiety

Emma Sturgis- Loving yourself, tips for a body positive life

EM Training Solutions- How to maintain mental health at work

David Morin- On social anxiety and talking to others

Lyle Murphy- How equine therapy can help those with mental health issues

Charlie Waller Memorial Trust- Best of Musicals event

A Time to Change Hypnotherapy-  Hypnotherapy for self esteem

Nu View Treatment Center- The connection between anxiety and substance abuse

Shout UK- Royal family launches mental health text line

Mental Health Foundation – Mental Health Awareness Week  May 2019 Body Image

Emerson Blake- Coping with the stress of becoming a single parent

The Worsley Centre- A guide to therapies and finding the right one for you

Byron Donovan at Grey Matter – How I recovered from depression to form a fashion brand 

Luci Larkin at Wooley and Co Law- How to reduce stress and maintain mental health during a divorce

Nat Juchems- How to keep your loved ones memory alive after bereavement

Emily Ilett- on her book ‘The Girl who Lost her Shadow’

Mark Simmonds- an interview about his book ‘Breakdown and Repair’ with Trigger Publishing

Curtis Dean- 5 facts about music for stress relief

Robert Tropp- How quitting illegal drugs helps anxiety in the long term

Aaron James- the difference between psychotherapy and counselling

Dr Justine Curry- 4 ways to help a friend with bipolar disorder

Christmas 4 CAMHS campaign for children in childrens mental health wards

Ani O- 4 ways to ease the fear of doctors appointments

Katherine Myers- Ways that spending time outdoors can improve your mental health

Anita- 5 ways to lift you out the slump of seasonal depression

Chloe Walker- taking care of your child’s mental health

CBT Toronto- how to deal with social anxiety and depression

Katy- a true story with anorexia and OCD

Vanessa Hill- Life changing habits to bring into the new year

Rachel Leycroft- Expressing social anxiety through songwriting

Shira- Living with a sibling with mental illness: the meaning of normal

Capillus- 10 signs you may have an anxiety disorder

Brooke Chaplan- When therapy isn’t enough 

Jami Mental Health Awareness Shabbat 2020 

Mike Segall- Time to Talk Day- 9 years undiagnosed, my story with bipolar disorder

Jasveer Atwal- Living with PCOS and managing mental health

Leigh Adley at Set Your Mind Free- How CBT helps children with anxiety

Lizzie Weakley- How to heal and move forward when you have an eating disorder

Sofie- Living with an eating disorder

Thank you so much to all of you and I am excited to see what 2020-21 brings for the blog!

Be Ur Own Light continues to be read globally and I love receiving your messages about the blogs and finding new writers too.

Heres to a 2020 of positive mental health, of fighting the stigma against mental illness and creating a positive and supportive community here. 

Happy 4th birthday Be Ur Own Light!  ❤ May this be an enlightening year of growth for us.

 

Love and Light always,

Eleanor    

xxx

Taking a Weekend Break, Finding your Perfect Wellbeing Holiday : by Wellbeing Escapes

~ Eleanor Segall ~ Leave a comment

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(image: Wellbeing Escapes, Euphoria Retreat)

It’s cold and wintery here in England and you will be dreaming of relaxation and calm, a retreat away from the stresses of daily life. Thinking about a health and wellness escape in the UK or abroad? Go no further than Wellbeing Escapes who are experts at bringing you the finest wellness holidays.

From yoga and meditation and digital detox retreats to luxury spa holidays in the Maldives, Greece and Morocco, there is something for everyone! Wellbeing Escapes say they offer an award winning service with flexible pricing and discounts to make sure you get the most out of your booking.

Wellbeing Escapes gifted me a wonderful pack of spa products which gave me a flavour of their unique wellbeing holidays, as these are used by their partners. This included various oils and room sprays (with calming scents like lavender) designed to help you relax and recharge.In looking at their holidays, I would like to focus on the weekend spa retreats, as often we just want to take time out at the weekend to revitalise.

Wellbeing Holidays say,
’If you are in need of some rest and relaxation, a weekend spa break is the perfect solution. Hop in the car and be at an idyllic countryside retreat in a few hours or take a short flight over to Europe for some added vitamin D. Spend time with a partner, a best friend or simply take some time for some well earned me-time. We’ve designed our exclusive spa programmes which make weekends that extra bit special. Relax with a selection of massages, facials, body scrubs and get your heart beating fast with the daily group fitness classes and then simply relax by the swimming pool.’

 

Spa weekend break in Europe:

Euphoria Retreat- Mystras, Greece

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(image: Wellbeing Holidays, Euphoria Retreat, Greece)
Euphoria Retreat is in a beautiful destination in Mystras, Greece. Euphoria means a state of wellbeing for body and mind, helping you to heal and transform your health. Relax in the beautiful turquoise pools and spa, in idyllic surroundings. This retreat serves to help physical, mental and spiritual balance, with a complete digital detox too (so no phones in the spa). There are personalised treatments , consultations, dietary guidance, exercise and mental coaching to help you achieve the concept of a blissful life (Euphoria).

Facilities include treatment rooms, outdoor pool, sphere pool, relaxation areas, tepidarium, Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, ice fountain, steam room, experiential showers, speleotherapy-salt room, watsu pool, sanctuary deprivation pool, Californian hot tub, gym, Pilates studio and yoga!.

You are also near a UNESCO world heritage site at Mystras, so there is a lot to explore.

For more about this beautiful, calming retreat see:

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(image: Wellbeing Escapes, Euphoria Retreat)

Other weekend breaks abroad include Portgual, Venice, Merano (Italy), Cyprus, Morocco and Spain (Marbella and Alicante). See here: https://www.wellbeingescapes.com/all-hotels/weekend-spa-breaks-t119

 

UK Weekend Spa Break
Grayshott Health Spa, Surrey, UK

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(image: Wellbeing Escapes, Grayshott Spa)

Want to get away but don’t want to go abroad? Wellbeing Escapes have your perfect weekend spa break. They say, ‘Idyllically set in the 47-acre estate of gardens and grounds which used to be home to Alfred Lord Tennyson, Grayshott Spa is brimming with old world charm and elegance. The spa is located close to Guildford in the village on Grayshott which approximately one hour by train from London. Inside the historic country house, Grayshott has been refurbished to combine the best of old and new, creating a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.’

The house and spa have beautiful grounds and woods to walk peacefully in nature. Just one hour from London, you can escape quickly and easily to this wonderful retreat. Grayshott is renowned for its holistic approach to wellbeing through therapies to alleviate emotional and physical stress. Example treatments include Reiki, Aroma face massage, detox salt baths and more. You can relax in the spa steam rooms and sauna or play golf, tennis and swim in the indoor and outdoor pools.

There are 59 rooms and suites and a delicious balanced menu. Group classes include yoga, aqua fitness, power walks and tai chi, to help restore balance.

What are you waiting for? To get some wellness and calm back into your life, visit this health spa today.

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(image: Wellbeing Escapes, Grayshott Spa)

 

You can contact the award winning Wellbeing Escapes to book your break in the UK or globally now at https://www.wellbeingescapes.com/ . ‘Pioneers in wellness travel since 2005’

Eleanor received a gifted pack of spa products,  in exchange for a blog on wellbeing escapes.