Embracing Books, Creativity, and Wild Water Adventures for Wellbeing

Can you believe we're already halfway through August? Time flies when you're having fun – or when you're busy reading books, as I've been lately!

These past weeks, I've been nurturing my inner bookworm and water baby. From rediscovering my love for reading to trying my hand (or should I say feet?) at stilt walking, and even dipping my toes into wild swimming – it's been a whirlwind of new experiences and personal growth.

Today, I want to share how adventures in literature, creativity, and nature help boost our wellbeing. I hope they'll inspire you to explore new territories in your own life and journalling practice.

‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.’ Dr. Seuss

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Writing—Words for Wellness

Friday marked National Book Lovers' Day, and oh, what a precious day it is for a bibliophile!

What are your favourite reads?

At the end of last year, I fell head over heels in love with reading again. Partly because I started a Master's in Creative Writing and Wellbeing, which demanded copious reading. And partly because I'd met two incredible psychological thriller authors, Adele Parks and Mandy Byatt, at a Literary Lunch, and was fortunate enough to gain signed copies of their latest novels.

Recently, I've been drawn to books exploring the relationship between human beings and nature—flora, fauna, and the environment. We have an innate belonging to the natural world, a concept known as biophilia, theorised by biologist E.O. Wilson in the mid 1900s. It's a fascinating area to explore and has been enriching my journalling practice.

For fiction lovers, I highly recommend Sarah Pearce. I recently finished her debut bestselling psychological thriller ‘Sanatorium’ and immediately dived into her follow-up book, ‘The Retreat’. Perfect for anyone who loves a spine-chilling page-turner!

Can you recommend any books I need to add to my list? I'd love to hear your suggestions—please reply to this email.

✐  Journal Prompts

To encourage you to deepen your connection with books and reflect on your reading experiences, try these prompts:

• Write about a character from a book that you relate to. What traits do you share, and how have they influenced your perspective?
• List three books that you would recommend to a friend. What makes each book special or significant to you?
• Describe your ideal reading environment. What elements make it comfortable and conducive to reading?
• Seta reading goal for the month. What books do you want to read, and why are they important to you?

‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Ernest Hemingway

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Creativity—Explore Your Authentic Self

Life is full of unexpected adventures that can spark our creativity and push us out of our comfort zones. Sometimes, these adventures come in the most unusual forms—like walking on stilts.

Last Saturday, I attended the excellent value-for-money Betley Show and tried my hand (or would it be feet or legs?) at stilt walking. I'll be honest, there was a fluke first attempt and then a lot of wobbles and falls. But what great fun!

The activity got me thinking about how walking on stilts could be likened to gaining the most from life, particularly in being creative - something I strive to do a little of every day.

• Balance and awareness: Stilt walking requires a keen sense of balance and awareness of our bodies and living creatively starts with self-awareness and finding the right balance of creative flow.
• Overcoming fear: The initial fear of falling is like the fear of failure in creative endeavours - any endeavour, for that matter. Facing and overcoming these fears can lead to growth, innovation, and fulfilment.
• Continuous learning: Creativity thrives on continuous learning and experimenting beyond our comfort zones.
• Adaptability: Adapting to changing circumstances in life by being creative fosters resilience and flexibility. And, of course, there's not taking ourselves too seriously. Have you ever tried walking on stilts – how was the experience?

✐  Journal Prompts

Let's explore how we can embrace creativity and gain more from life through these journalling prompts:

• Describe what your ideal life looks like in five years. What are you doing, who are you with, and how do you feel?
• List three moments in the past week that brought you joy. What made them special, and how can you create more of these moments?
• What hobbies make you feel most alive? How can you make more time for these activities in your life?
• Create a list of 100 things you love about yourself. How can embracing these qualities help you gain more from life?

‘Creativity is intelligence having fun.’ Albert Einstein

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Nature—Discover a Nourishing Connection

These past two weeks, I've been nurturing my inner water baby.

A couple of weekends ago, I went to an introductory session for wild swimming. Have you tried it? It's always felt quite natural for me to be in water, and I learned how to swim from an early age. Nowadays, my breaststroke is usually confined to a heated indoor pool or the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea, so an outdoor Cheshire lake was somewhat different.

But it offered a novel experience, and one I was very excited about. I purchased a bargain wetsuit for £14.99, a swimming cap, a tow float, and rooted out my goggles.

The cleansing feeling of cool water and the tingling ‘aliveness’ on your skin afterwards is difficult to relate to unless you've tried it. It's incredible, exhilarating, refreshing. So much so, that I dived into the lake for a second time last Tuesday and have another session booked for this coming Tuesday. I'm hooked!

There are many benefits to wild swimming (in a managed environment) and cold water exposure, including:

• Boosted immune system: Regular exposure to cold water can increase white blood cell count, enhancing immune function and resilience against infections.
• Improved mental health: Swimming in natural settings can reduce anxiety and depression, promote feelings of euphoria, and improve overall psychological wellbeing through the release of endorphins and dopamine.
• Enhanced circulation: Cold water immersion stimulates blood flow, improving circulation and promoting cardiovascular health by flushing out toxins and delivering nutrients to vital organs.

To continue with my water adventures, I took my partner's daughter paddle boarding. We had an instructor session, learned the basics, and fell in a few times–occasionally on purpose!

Gliding over the lake's surface is surprisingly mindful and once you know where to place the paddle in the water, the giant board is easy to control.

'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.' John Muir

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Book & Podcast Recommendations

Resources

• Connect: Please connect with me on your preferred platform
• PDF: Access this month’s free journal planner
• Podcast: Listen to the Writing with Purpose podcast
• Podcast: Listen to my collaboration podcast, Soulful Reawakening

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Until next time, slow down and observe the world around you.

Love & energy

Anna 💚

P.S.

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