Feel the wind in your hair, rain on your face, and just walk…

What an amazing week we had in Cornwall.  The weather was pants, but we spent lots of time outdoors playing on the beach and even swimming in the sea.  Yes, I did venture in, and I loved it (once I’d got over how bloody cold it was😊).  I was supposed to swim the Serpentine last year, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to the sad passing of the Queen.  I’d forgotten how much I had enjoyed training for that swim.  I love the feeling of freedom outdoor swimming gives you (well once you’ve gotten over your breath being taken away from the cold as you plunge in).  I felt invigorated, refreshed, and most of all like I had done something good for myself.  The kids thought it was fantastic

that mummy went in the sea and couldn’t wait to join me (normally this is what they do with Daddy).  We spent a lovely time swimming together and the kids loved watching mummy have fun doing something she doesn’t normally do.  I didn’t even feel that cold when I got out, which is a good thing as I had to sort out 2 children before I could even contemplate getting changed 😊.  It definitely feels like that mindset shift I’ve been writing about over the last couple of weeks is continuing – normally I would have felt really self-conscious walking down to the sea in just my swimming costume but this time I was just enjoying the thought of swimming and not worrying about what others thought of me (maybe journalling ‘I’m going to commit to trying to free myself of worry about what others think of me’ each day is paying off).

I was also lucky enough to have some time to myself and set off on a 3-mile coastal walk.  It was

amazing just walking along and enjoying the scenery without worrying about whether the kids were going to fall off the cliff 😊.  I had no phone signal either so I couldn’t listen to anything (which I would normally do) so it was just me and my thoughts and the occasional hello and wave to those who passed by.  It did wonders for my headspace and my legs (I think my watch calculated that I had climbed the equivalent of 78 flights of stairs during that walk).  And made me think that my next holiday may well be a walking holiday (obviously minus the kids).  Something about a rucksack and setting out each morning to walk to your next destination, the simplicity, and the idea of doing nothing but walking and enjoying the fresh air appeals to me.  Mmmm, perhaps the mindset shift has gone a little far 😊.

Thinking back over the last week, I don’t think I had any noticeable menopause symptoms.  I had no hot flushes, no night sweats, or anxiety attacks. My food choices were not great, but I was walking over 10000 steps a day, getting lots of fresh air and, as I wasn’t working, I wasn’t stressed.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t 100% relaxing; tell me any holiday that is with an 8 and 4-year-old, but I felt in control.  So, when those symptoms feel unbearable, my recommendation for you is to take a break, feel the fresh air in your lungs, the wind (and most likely the rain) in your hair, and walk with no destination in mind.