It’s that time of year where a lot of us look, or at least try to look, long and hard at our lifestyle and any potential excesses that might not be so good for us, and decide that “things need to change”. Never starting on the 1st of January though – that would just be silly – that is definitely part of the holidays.
So, on the 2nd of January many of us start with new resolve on diets, exercise regimes, banning “unhealthy things” from our lives – many very good and valid resolutions – that unfortunately very often quickly bite the dust.
Here at Solent Events, we have come to the conclusion that small changes, small resolutions might be more sustainable than sweeping lifestyle alterations. To find the right small changes, we looked at what makes us happy on a regular basis: the sea, sun, fresh air and, of course, sailing.
The health benefits of being outside are of course well researched and documented. We need the sun for that all important vitamin D (of course with adequate sun protection – we only want the goodness the rays can give us), fresh air energises us and also makes us sleep better, and spending time in the great outdoors has been proven to support mental health.
Being out on the water adds a whole extra layer of “goodness”. The sound of water is proven to relax and calm the mind, releasing tension and anxiety. Infants like to be rocked – it soothes them and makes them sleepy – the rocking of a boat on the water has a similar calming effect on adults.
Being out on open water helps reset our perspective on the world – it reminds us how big the world really is and makes us realise how small some of our, seemingly insurmountable, problems actually are. Yours truly is fortunate enough to be able to walk to a nearby cliff top and look out over the Solent – it never fails to restore calm and invigorate, in equal measure.
Sailing adds the element of physical exercise, of hoisting and trimming sails, holding the helm and everything else that keeps the boat going well. Even if you are not partaking in the “active sailing”, just moving around on deck will make you use muscles you won’t use walking around the house or office.
Sailing anything bigger than a one-person dinghy also means team work. Being out together on the water, working together to make the boat do what you want it to do, means co-operation, communication, organisation. It means getting to know each other well, trust and, invariably, friendship. A couple of years ago we wrote about the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust; the amazing trips and events they organize for young people with cancer and those in recovery, truly demonstrate the healing powers of sailing together.
So, our “small”, feel-good resolutions for 2022 – be out on the water as much as we can, sail as often as we can, and encourage others to be out there with us!
Picture Credit Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust
