Are you stressed? Does the world piss you off? Is your 9-5 grinding you into the ground? I’ve got a short-term solution for you. You’ll get plenty of exercise in the process. And it’s free!
Go to your local beach.
The beach is a time machine. While everyone is lost on Instagram or Snap Chatting their lives away, the beach is exactly as you remembered it. There’s a kiosk. A shower to rinse the sand off your rash vest. Sand and the ocean. It’s perfect. Amid the constant turbulence of the modern world, you will instantly de-stress. You will forget the suffocating walls of your cubicle. The dishes that are piled up in the sink will disappear (not literally).
I’ve always envied surfers/beach rats. Not just their perfect, tanned bodies and beach hair. But I want that laid back attitude. That unflappable nature when you roll with whatever the world throws at you. Meanwhile, I’m stressing out because someone is listening to Wham! at full blast on their smartphone and ruining my commute. It’s not 1984! Use your damn headphones!
Watch Ian Cole discuss the science behind needing to take holidays. (Post continues after video).
There’s honestly nothing better than sitting in the ocean. You can surf, swim or just fight the waves in your own way. I know this will sound corny, but there’s a lot to be said for communing with nature. Letting go of everything and forging your own path in the world, even if it’s only a few hours. I call it beach therapy. I’m not going to transform myself into Sigrid Thornton and have a sea change (although she is pretty great), but a trip to the beach did more for me than I could possibly imagine.
I got back from my day at Long Reef and my neighbour mentioned that something was different about me. “You look…happier, Jeff. You’ve got a spring in your step”, he said. I was not only walking on air, but the salt that covered my body magically renewed my spirit. I didn’t achieve anything the other day at the Long Reef. My family was the same as when I left the house that morning. My job is just as good/bad as it was yesterday.
Nothing has changed. Except for the fact that I spent a day on the sand and in the waves. It made a profound difference to my mental health, even though I wasn’t aware of the effect that the experience had on me. If other people can see that you’ve changed, then you need to take stock.
Top Comments
I take my dog to my favourite beach at 5am every morning. It's a dog-off-leash beach on the Sunshine Coast. We get there and you can see no one for miles. It's just the ocean and miles of pristine white sand. The scene changes every day. Just yesterday we ran along the waters edge, whooping with happiness because it was just perfection. Well, I whooped, dog just looked excited. It truly is the most de-stressing, grounding experience. We are very lucky in this country. Beach therapy rules.
I live 800m from the beach. I like looking at the ocean (from afar) but I prefer my swimming water chlorinated and concreted!