For this post I’m sharing one of the main ways that I’ve been getting my leisure & relaxation time in this summer season. My intention for this post is to voice the importance of what relaxation and leisure time can do for your mental health.

When you’re clear on the environments that help you to feel calm and centered you’re more likely to give yourself that gift because you know what it looks and feels like. If you don’t know what that space looks like, I encourage you to start exploring. Winding down and finding calm is an incredible gift to give yourself. It helps you find clarity, inner peace & wisdom and is grounding for your mind, body & soul.

Carving out the space and time to just BE can be more challenging these days. Meaning, we live in a busier world than previous humans; devices buzzing at us constantly, more people, more noise and distraction; generally speaking. This is even more true depending on where you live and the demands of your particular lifestyle. What I’ve witnessed is that your “personal time” is, often, the first thing to go when life gets busy.

QUESTION: WHY IS THIS SO????

For whatever reason, it seems that many of us let go of the time we could use to ground ourselves when our schedules are tight. We ditch the workout or 10 minute meditation to get anything and everything else done. In order to stay well balanced and happy, don’t we need some space for clarity and grounding?

Feeling calm & relaxed is a state that doesn’t coexist well with busyness and constant go go go. For this reason, I was inspired to share with you what my personal “leisure” time has looked like this summer.

Full disclosure: It’s been more and more difficult for me to find my inner peace over the last several years. I suppose the access to everything at any moment of the day has created an energy that is hard for me to shut off and find stillness in. With the advances in technology and social media has come more of a struggle for me to “turn off,” be present and let go of the “to do’s” and “should’s.” Even with “doing all the things” (meditation, working out, eating healthy, getting good sleep, etc.) there’s still a restlessness that I battle. You?

However, one thing that “calms my beast” is my space & time by the sea.

Leisure: Use of free time for enjoyment.

**Relaxation:** Emotional state of a living being, of low tension, in which there is an absence of arousal, particularly from negative sources such as anger, anxiety or fear.

This post is to encourage you to find the spot or activity that allows you to “get lost” and points you inward. I don’t expect you to “take on” my idea of relaxation, as one size does not fit all. Rather, I encourage you to think about and explore which environment(s) help you to tap into your sense of peace & calm.

I want to share with you the products that I currently love, which have brought joy to my days near and in the ocean.

A couple of years back I collaborated with my friend, Renata Amazonas, Photographer & creator of honeyandgarden on the concept of hygee. HOW TO CREATE HYGEE FOR THE HOME

So, what’s hyggee? Great question! Hygge is a defining characteristic of the Danish culture and is defined as:

“A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”

— google

Basically, in so many words “Hygge” is all about creating a warm and fuzzy vibe within the environment that you dwell. An environment that brings joy and is defined and amplified via the particular items, textures, smells and sounds, etc. that you bring into a space.

Below I’m sharing with you the very beach reads and personal products that have helped me to create my own portable version of “Minimal Beach Hygge” this summer. Setting up a space that invites me to “stay awhile” has really allowed me to stop, shut off and calm.

Here are the items that I personally have really enjoyed this summer: