We’ve been thinking a lot recently about what we like to call “calm places”. In other words, your go-to for when life starts to get on top of you. For when you feel anxious, stressed or just not quite yourself. As we all do at times. Perhaps it’s a physical location you visit, an action you take, a book you read, a song you listen to, or a TV programme you watch. To us, a calm place is the thing you turn to when you need some respite.
For this year’s National Stress Awareness Day, we asked some of the Enlitened team about their calm places. We wanted to know what they do and where they go to take some time for themselves. Here’s what they said.
The Enlitened Team: Our calm places
Sophie, Client Success Manager
“When I’m stressed, I go out walking, by myself, with my partner or a friend. Living in Brighton helps as I can choose between the South Downs and Brighton Beach. The most important thing is that I always come back home with a different attitude to the one I left with. It gives me time to put my stress into perspective.”
Chris, CEO
“When I am stressed, I take a moment to meditate, either where I am, or outside whilst having a stroll… the seaside, or the woods with my pug being my favourite spots. I try to meditate daily as well to add a bit of preventative medicine.”
Juliet, Executive Assistant
“When things are getting on top of me, I will go and get some fresh air, take time away from my screen and walk the dog on the beach.”
Dan, Head of Product
“Creating or building things is great respite for me – hours and hours can easily go by and it helps me think about the important things. DIY has been my go to recently whether it’s painting a room or converting a van into a home on wheels.”
Rosie, Marketing Manager
“I go for a run on Brighton seafront, ideally at sunset! It’s my happy place.”
Adam, DevOps
“When I’m stressed, I go beekeeping. Being outside with nature, looking after something that’s so important for our environment puts everything into perspective.”
Ria, Head of University Partnerships
“I head to the sea with my dogs.”
Rich, Tech Lead
“Taking some time out and getting fresh air works for me, whether that is a walk along the beach or going for a run. The great outdoors is an amazing and free way to de-stress!”
Victoria, Head of Client Success
“My go-to is to climb up a hill or mountain (the bigger the better) and take in the views and the world around me.”
Tom, UX/UI Designer
“When I feel stressed, I stop what I am doing and go for a short walk whilst listening to a chill-out playlist, to clear my head and refocus. Coming back with a fresh perspective and mindset can massively help.”
Charlotte, Front-End Developer
“I like to go for long walks in nature or do some yoga to de-stress after a long week!”
National Stress Awareness Day: Finding your calm place
Stress can be unavoidable, but finding a calm place (somewhere you can go or something you can do to relax you) can be a powerful way to lessen the impact that stress has on your mental health.
If a calm place doesn’t come to mind for you immediately, have a little think about it. It might help to ask yourself some questions like: What’s my favourite film or TV programme? Why do I like it so much? Where’s the last place I was when I felt a sense of happiness or calm? How can I recreate that feeling again?
We also asked students on The Student Room to share their calm places with us – here’s what they said.