Canal News – Five steps to living a calmer, healthier and happier life.

Canal News

Five steps to living a calmer, healthier and happier life.

As Dolly Parton told the crowds at Glastonbury, working 9 till 5 can ‘drive you crazy if you let it’. So don’t let it! Follow our five steps to living a calmer, healthier and happier life.

1. Get in touch with nature

It’s an obvious one, and easily achieved. Go and feed the ducks in the park, pick fruit growing wild along the towpath or buy some pretty flowers and spruce up your front garden. Watch them grow and take pleasure in them year after year. If you really are stuck in the office from dusk till dawn, remember that nature doesn’t disappear after dark. An evening stroll is a great remedy for the stresses of the day. Look up at the stars and listen for the hoot of an owl. If you’re lucky you may even spot a bat.

2. Find your inner child

Nothing makes you forget your over-flowing inbox quicker than the feeling of sand between your toes. Skim some pebbles and watch them bounce over the waves. No beach nearby? No problem. Take off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the grass. It’s a great alternative. Buy a shrimping net and go pond-dipping. You never know what you might find. On a windy day, flying a kite will give you a great sense of achievement. Or for the ultimate kick of childlike freedom, find a big hill and run down it. Fling your arms out wide and feel invincible.

3. Learn something new

When we learn a new skill or accomplish something for the first time, we feel proud. When we feel proud, we feel less stressed. Most things are easy when you know how, and the internet is stuffed full of hints and tips for doing just about anything. Make a soufflé, mend that leaking tap or knit your friend a scarf. Or take an evening class and learn a new language. Need more of a challenge? Take up kayaking, or mountain biking or African drumming.

4. Give something back

Helping others is a sure fire way to regain a sense of perspective about our own toils and troubles. All manner of charitable organisations are crying out for volunteers up and down the country. From providing companionship for the elderly to helping out at sports camps, there’s something for everyone. It’s always better to give than to receive. And if you’re not a people person, there’s a high demand for volunteers to help out with animals, with woodlands, with canals, with just about everything.
Check out our own volunteering pages for a wide variety of opportunities.

5. Get away from it all

Sometimes we just need to get away, whether that’s a week in the Bahamas or a day trip somewhere more local. A change is as good as a rest, as they say. We’ve put together some free guides to the best days out on the canal and river network.
Find a place to visit near you.

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit

Check out our own volunteering pages for a wide variety of opportunities.

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteering