One of the great joys in my life is being able to spend time in the mountains both summer and winter. We have a holiday home on the lake in Jindabyne and every morning I wake up when we are there I look out over the beautiful lake and across to the mountains and feel absolute delight. It doesn’t matter what type of weather it is, the vista is constantly changing, it is always exquisitely lovely (even when the winds are at 100km /hour!). Winter is particularly gorgeous because we look out to the mountains that are covered with snow across the peaks and sometimes, like last weekend, a snowfall leaves a blanket of white all the way down to the lake. It is quite something to behold. After a day skiing we come home, light the fire, and then take our Golden Retriever dog, Jett, for a walk along the lakes edge. We have often said that Jindabyne is completely unique in that there is nowhere else in Australia were you have excellent facilities and restaurants etc, a beautiful lake and be able to walk along the beach with snow on the mountains. Being there is so relaxing and revitalising – like being at our own personal retreat!
It is vitally important that we take quality time out in the midst of our busy lives to do things that bring us joy and that make our heart sing. Being consciously aware and grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, appreciating the beauty around us and taking time to “smell the roses” contributes in so many ways to our wellness and longevity. Appreciating beauty stimulates serotonin – our happy neurochemical, and doing activity such as skiing gives a nice top up of dopamine. Being with people we care about is great for our oxytocin levels and so we feel close and connected with other people. All of these are important to our short and long term wellbeing.
The more time we take to practice self care, the happier and healthier we are. This month I urge you to reflect on the beauty and joy in your life and consciously commit to taking regular time out to rejuvenate and recharge your batteries.